9 Orioles to watch under new roster rules

This spring, a snapshot of the Orioles' future was plain to see in Sarasota, Fla., with nearly half of their top prospects participating in Spring Training. Some saw their stock rise, while some watched it fall. The same was true for others with more immediate designs on helping the club.

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Now with players and coaches set to return to Baltimore for summer camp on Wednesday, expect another round of competition to come with it. Many of those prospects should be back in the picture, their debut dates potentially pushed up due to the COVID-19 break. Other more established players will also arrive looking to solidify their footing during what will be a 60-game sprint of a regular season.

Here are nine players to watch once camp opens at Camden Yards:

1, 2. Keegan Akin/Bruce Zimmermann, LHP
Let’s lump these two names together, because they are both left-handed and they are the Orioles’ two nearest big league-ready pitching prospects. Both were expected to debut at some point in 2020 after spending at least part of the past season at Triple-A Norfolk (Akin spent the entire year), so it stands to reason fans could expect to see the club’s No. 11 and No. 28 prospects in the Majors soon. Both are strong taxi squad candidates at the very least.

3. Cody Carroll, RP
It seems like every time Carroll makes an impression on the Orioles, something happens. After debuting down the stretch in 2018, Carroll tweaked his back the following spring. The injury lingered long enough to require surgery, costing the right-hander the entire '19 season. Carroll turned heads this spring, striking out eight across six strong innings before the coronavirus pandemic hit. The O's think the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Carroll has back-end stuff, pointing to his high-90s fastball and strong slider. But they still largely haven’t seen him pitch all that much. It might be time to change that.

4. Chris Davis, 1B
Three months ago, we were wondering if Davis’ sizzling spring was a mirage, and if it wasn’t, whether or not the former home run champion could maintain it over the course of a full season. That is no longer a concern. If Davis gets hot again to begin this truncated season, he’ll only have to keep it going for 60 games. That creates a tantalizing possibility for a player whose shown he can still catch fire for weeks on end, though he is more susceptible than most to prolonged slumps. What can the O’s expect from Davis in a 60-game sprint? Probably one or the other. Maybe they will catch lightning in a bottle.

5. Yusniel Díaz, OF
It’ll be interesting to see how the Orioles balance prospect development and injury depth on their taxi squad, given their long-term rebuilding goals and the number of not-quite-ready blue-chippers they could choose to prioritize. Does Adley Rutschman get brought into the fold, simply in lieu of having him sit at home all summer? Do Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall get spots so they can train under the watch of Baltimore’s player development staff? And what about Díaz? He’s further along than those three and slightly behind Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays, but he looked at least like a potential September callup before the season was paused. A strong summer camp could go a long way toward deciding whether or not he will debut in 2020.

6. Richie Martin, INF
Another young player who likely would’ve began the year at Triple-A, Martin probably avoided that fate. Like Mountcastle, his development would benefit more from playing actual games this summer than working out in a taxi squad format. And that means playing big league games. Martin, 25, hit .208 with a .581 OPS last season as a Rule 5 Draft pick and Baltimore’s every-other-day shortstop. He profiles more as a utility option this year, with expanded rosters allowing him to factor into a versatile bench mix with Andrew Velazquez, Pat Valaika and perhaps others.

7. Ryan Mountcastle, RF/1B
In a way, Orioles fans probably won’t have to wait as long as they would’ve to see Mountcastle had the coronavirus pandemic not struck. After a sensational 2019 season at Triple-A followed by a lackluster spring, the club’s No. 4 prospect was set to begin the year back in the Minors and likely would have been a midsummer callup. Now little incentive exists for the O's not to bring him into the fold, with only 60 games on the schedule, opportunities for Minor Leaguers to play uncertain and expanded rosters. Trekking forward without star Trey Mancini, who is undergoing treatment for colon cancer, should open up further opportunity for Mountcastle both in the outfield and at first base.

8. Rio Ruiz, 3B
After growing into some power in the second half of last season, Ruiz showed up to Spring Training 15 pounds heavier and enjoyed an excellent camp, routinely driving the ball from line to line. He’s a candidate to take a step forward in his second full big league season, more or less assured everyday reps at third base at least to start.

9. DJ Stewart, RF
On the cusp of returning from right ankle surgery when Spring Training was shut down, Stewart should be fully healed for summer camp. There is also more opportunity for the Orioles’ 2015 first-round Draft pick than initially expected, with Mancini sidelined for the entire season. Stewart saw several of his chances for extended at-bats fizzle due to injuries last season, missing time to both a concussion and a sprain to his now surgically repaired right ankle.