Revisiting three storylines from O's Spring Training

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Eight days from now, the Orioles will wrap up their 2024 Grapefruit League schedule. They’ll play the Twins at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers on March 24 and then break camp, heading north for Baltimore ahead of Opening Day on March 28 at Camden Yards.

Fifty players remain in big league camp, so some tough decisions will need to be made over the next week as the O’s must trim their roster to 26.

When Spring Training was about to begin on Feb. 14, I examined three storylines that seemed prevalent as the Orioles prepared to open camp. Now, with the end of spring just around the corner, let’s revisit those questions I posed to see how the landscape has since developed.

Will Jackson Holliday make the Opening Day roster?
If Holliday actually had a legitimate chance to break camp with Baltimore -- as general manager Mike Elias repeatedly stated throughout the offseason -- then the 20-year-old infielder should be included on the Opening Day roster. He has often proved that he’s ready to debut in MLB.

Holliday, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect, has shown his bat is big league ready. Through 12 Grapefruit League games, he is 11-for-37 (.297) with two doubles, two triples, one homer and five RBIs. He doubled vs. Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler as part of a 3-for-4 performance on March 5, and he belted a grand slam off Blue Jays lefty Yusei Kikuchi last Sunday.

The biggest question surrounding Holliday was whether he could handle second base, as the Orioles will have much more available playing time for him there than at shortstop in 2024. He’s passed that test, too, even making a pair of highlight reel-worthy plays vs. the Braves on Wednesday night.

“That was nice to see,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We hadn’t had many plays out there where he had to range and make some plays.”

Either Holliday or veteran Kolten Wong (a non-roster invitee) should be Baltimore’s left-handed-hitting option at second base to open the season. It sure feels like Holliday has done everything he’s needed to do to win the job.

Can Dean Kremer be unseated as the No. 5 starter?
Well, Kremer is actually heading into the season as the Orioles’ likely No. 3 starter. Heading into Spring Training, it wasn’t known that neither right-hander Kyle Bradish (right UCL sprain) nor left-hander John Means (left elbow recovery) would be in the Opening Day rotation.

So Kremer (a 4.38 ERA in four Grapefruit starts) is a lock, along with ace Corbin Burnes (who will start Opening Day) and Grayson Rodriguez. With Bradish and Means heading to the injured list, there are open rotation spots for both righty Tyler Wells and lefty Cole Irvin.

Wells has been strong this spring, posting a 1.50 ERA in six innings over two starts. Irvin may have a 6.23 ERA in 8 2/3 innings over three starts, but he’s shown increased velocity and opened camp with a pair of scoreless outings.

Right-hander Julio Teheran (a non-roster invitee) is in the mix, but the 33-year-old appears more likely to make the team as a long reliever. It would be a bit of a surprise if the O’s rotation doesn’t feature the five of Burnes, Rodriguez, Kremer, Wells and Irvin.

Which outfielders make the team, and how many of them?
Nothing has changed regarding the starting trio of Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander. But it’s going to be challenging for the Orioles to pick one or two outfielders from the group of Colton Cowser (MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 overall prospect), Heston Kjerstad (No. 32), Kyle Stowers and Ryan McKenna.

McKenna can provide strong defense at all three outfield spots, but the 27-year-old will have a tough time beating out any of the other three.

Cowser has emerged as a front-runner by posting a .379/.514/.793 slash line with four homers and nine RBIs in 12 Grapefruit games. However, Stowers also has four homers (all left-on-left blasts) and nine RBIs. Kjerstad’s bat has been a bit inconsistent, but he ended the 2023 season in the big leagues and has a ton of offensive potential

If Baltimore carries five outfielders, it likely wouldn’t have room for all three of Holliday, Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo in the infield mix. By going with four, only one of Cowser, Kjerstad, Stowers and McKenna would make the team.

“We have a lot of guys that probably aren’t going to make the team that are going to be good players,” Hyde said.