SARASOTA, Fla. – Heston Kjerstad tried to surround himself with the game when he couldn’t play it. That was a longer period than he or anyone would have liked.

Taken by the Orioles second overall in the 2020 Draft after a stellar if shortened period at Arkansas, the hulking outfielder missed out on what would have been his first full season with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart wall that came from COVID-19. He was set to return in the spring of 2021, only to suffer a left hamstring strain that pushed back his pro debut until June 10.

“I watched a lot of baseball,” MLB's No. 80 prospect said of the downtime. “You can still learn stuff, whether it’s watching ABs and certain approaches. There are a lot of guys that pitch the same way to certain hitters. … There’s a lot to be learned just from watching.”

But when he wanted to queue up highlights of a fellow left-handed slugger like himself, he dove into the archives.

“I like to dive back into old-school hitters,” he said. “I really like watching Griffey.”

For many in the game, this is the first normal Spring Training since 2019 due to the pandemic, restrictions and last year’s work stoppage. For Kjerstad, this is his first normal spring in pro ball, period. So far so good.

Baltimore’s No. 6 prospect went 3-for-3 with two homers, including one in his first at-bat, in his Grapefruit League debut on Feb. 25 and is 6-for-10 through his first seven games as a non-roster invitee in Baltimore camp.

It might be the best indication yet that Kjerstad is prepared to show what he can do when fully healthy.

The former Razorbacks star exhibited plus power potential in school from a left-handed swing that starts with a prominent leg kick, features great bat speed and comes through an uphill path designed to generate extra-base hits by the bunches. The bout with myocarditis kept Kjerstad away from the diamond under doctor’s orders to avoid any physically taxing activity, and by the time he was given the green light, he had missed more than two years’ worth of at-bats.

After a hot start at Single-A Delmarva, the lost time caught up to him at High-A Aberdeen, where he had a below-average 86 wRC+ and hit .233/.312/.362 with only three homers in 43 games. The Orioles stayed encouraged that Kjerstad remained healthy and sent the slugger to the Arizona Fall League -- one more opportunity to end on a high note and more importantly get much-needed playing time.

It was in the desert that Kjerstad was at his most productive as a pro. He was named AFL MVP after leading the prospect-laden circuit in hits (35), extra-base hits (15) and total bases (61) while hitting .357/.385/.622 with five homers in 22 games for Scottsdale. For good measure, he was the runner-up in the Fall League’s Home Run Derby in Mesa, finishing with 31 dingers over three rounds.

“We could all have one good AB,” Kjerstad said. “But I think what makes the difference is being consistent and building those ABs every day, week by week and then a month of solid ABs keep building up on each other.”

Kjerstad’s last game with Scottsdale was Nov. 9. The first day of full workouts for Orioles players in Sarasota was Feb. 21. It was a tighter turnaround than most Minor Leaguers, but for a player who had seen enough days away from the diamond, the smaller offseason window may have helped keep him the momentum. Case in point: that first homer swing against Twins veteran right-hander Brock Stewart, resulting in a shot the other way that Kjerstad just plain muscled over the wall in left in Fort Myers.

The 24-year-old may lack any true upper-level experience, but the point of being a non-roster invitee is to get your game in front of Major League coaches and evaluators. Kjerstad isn’t just getting attention by being around, he’s commanding it.

“Just how physical he is, how strong he is, how hard he hits the baseball, great personality,” said Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. “It's easygoing, ton of confidence. With what he's been through to what he is right now, it's really, really impressive.”

“I don't think that he had quite gotten all the way back to that [Arkansas] player at any one point last season,” said director of player development Matt Blood. “I think he was still working his way through. I think the Fall League is where maybe he was starting to feel even more like himself. Then I think this spring, he's finding some real confidence that ‘Yeah, I’m Heston Kjerstad, and I'm really good at baseball.'”

Baltimore put its talented and youthful system to great use during its resurgent 2022 season, and with the organization looking to turn a corner toward possible full-blown contention this summer, it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that Kjerstad could use his upward momentum and follow Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson’s path to Baltimore by the fall.

“Anybody that’s in that clubhouse has a chance at contributing to the big-league team this year,” he said. “It could be my year. If it is, I’ll be ready when I get the opportunity.”

If and when that call comes whether it’s in 2023 or (perhaps more likely) 2024, Kjerstad will bring a swing tailormade for Camden Yards’ right field porch, though Hyde would contend, “he can hit the ball out of any ballpark and anywhere in the ballpark.”

With that in mind, perhaps he’d want to look up one specific video before his home debut: Ken Griffey Jr.’s mammoth blast off the warehouse in the 1993 Home Run Derby.

“Normally it isn’t the best approach in-game,” he said, “but maybe one day I’ll get a hold of one, send it onto Eutaw Street and get a plaque up there.” 

What a highlight that would make.