SARASOTA, Fla. -- It’s not even March yet -- and Grapefruit League action hasn’t started in Spring Training across Florida -- but it isn’t too early to take in the visuals of an Adley Rutschman home run.

Here's one for your enjoyment:

Where’d that ball land? Nobody could tell exactly, due to the rays of sunshine beaming down onto Ed Smith Stadium on Monday morning. But it was clear that Rutschman got all of that pitch delivered by right-hander Dillon Tate during a session of live batting practice in Sarasota.

Monday (which was the report date for position players) marked the first time the Orioles held live BP on the main stadium field this spring. The sessions drew a large crowd of players, media members and coaches, while general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde watched from the stands behind home plate.

“It’s still a step down from facing the other team and that type of adrenaline, and obviously, the season to spring is even a step up,” said outfielder Kyle Stowers, who was among the hitters. “But the sounds are a little louder, and you can kind of start visualizing what it’s like to be back in games.”

Here are a few highlights and takeaways from the sessions:

• The left-handed-hitting Stowers hasn’t gotten many opportunities against lefty pitchers in the big leagues, accumulating 124 plate appearances against righties and only seven vs. southpaws the past two seasons. But Stowers can put a good swing on pitches from lefties, as the 26-year-old did while hitting a double off the center-field wall against Cionel Pérez:

Later in live BP, Stowers generated more good contact against a southpaw, hitting a ball hard to right field against Nick Vespi. It was tough to tell whether an outfielder would have caught it during a game, but it was still encouraging for Stowers, who is among the bubble outfielders competing for a roster spot this spring.

“I’ve always had high belief in myself vs. lefty or righty,” Stowers said. “Honestly, apart from plan and approach, to me, there’s no difference. Try to keep it simple and not get too caught up in whether I’m facing a righty or a lefty.”

• The first pitcher to take the mound was right-hander Tyler Wells, who is now likely to be included in Baltimore’s season-opening rotation. The 29-year-old right-hander was showcasing impressive stuff, which he used to record strikeouts of Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo:

• Rutschman wasn’t the only O’s hitter with a homer. Ryan Mountcastle blasted a pitch to right-center field against Mike Baumann, with the ball hitting the bottom of the scoreboard:

• Jackson Holliday, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect, got four plate appearances during the live BP sessions. The 20-year-old drew a pair of walks, and he also blooped a ball into left field during a left-on-left matchup vs. Pérez:

New arrivals to camp

The Orioles’ spring clubhouse received a jolt of energy Monday morning with the arrival of outfielder Anthony Santander. The 29-year-old showed up in Sarasota with his trademark wide smile and excitement to begin another season, which will be his eighth in Baltimore.

Santander, who paced the team in doubles (41) and RBIs (95) last year and tied for the lead in homers (28), has high expectations for the defending American League East champions heading into 2024.

“We’re in a new year, we got here with the right mentality,” Santander said. “Keep working hard, get better every single day to be in the World Series this year. That’s our goal for everybody here.”

Also new to camp were infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo and outfielder Peyton Burdick (who was acquired in a trade with Miami last Wednesday). The only player who hasn’t yet reported is non-roster left-hander Ronald Guzmán, due to a visa issue.

Around the horn

• Expect to see Mateo move around the diamond often this spring. Elias said earlier this month that the 28-year-old shortstop will get a good bit of time in center field, while Hyde noted Monday that Mateo worked at second base during the offseason.

“We're going to keep our options open with him,” Hyde said. “He really increases the versatility we have on this club, and he can cover us in a lot of places.”

• First baseman/designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn will again take reps in the corner outfield this spring. It could help the 30-year-old get in the lineup more frequently, with Ryan Mountcastle at first or DH and Santander rotating between right field, DH and first.

• Jordan Westburg will not be getting reps in the corner outfield, where he has a bit of experience in the Minor Leagues. The 25-year-old infielder will move between second base, third and shortstop, with his primary focus being second and third.