With the Orioles now a week into their 2021 Grapefruit League schedule, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Even if this changes later this month, MASN not televising spring games is not only a really bad look, but it’s a missed opportunity to not offer a glimpse at youngsters in camp when all you’re selling these days is the future. Rebuilding Pittsburgh will have 14 TV games.
2. The Orioles are probably thankful Sunday’s game wasn’t shown locally as the defense was brutal in a 13-1 loss to the Pirates. You hope the middle infield combination of Freddy Galvis and Yolmer Sanchez helps a young pitching staff that needs to be efficient to survive 162 games.
3. Now hitting exclusively from the left side, Cedric Mullins is 6-for-15 to begin spring action with two hits — one being a triple — coming against southpaw pitching. He really struggled from the right side throughout his professional career, but adjusting to left-on-left matchups in the majors won’t be pleasant.
4. John Means was around 92 miles per hour with his fastball and threw some decent changeups and breaking balls in his second start, but he struggled to put hitters away and was let down by his defense. There’s much to like about his profile that featured improved stuff last year.
5. We forget Adley Rutschman has played only 37 professional games because of the pandemic and what he means to Baltimore as the face of the rebuild, but he seems unfazed by that burden. The only thing that may keep him from the majors in 2021 is a delayed minors season.
6. Dillon Tate had a poor outing Sunday, but he’s the kind of talent who could make this an interesting bullpen. In the abbreviated 2020, his velocity ticked up, his slider was better, and he increased his swing-and-miss rate despite a strikeout rate that dipped from the previous season.
7. Chris Davis hasn’t played since hurting his back in the spring opener. In other news, Monday marked 20 years since the Orioles announced they were placing Albert Belle on the 60-day disabled list due to him being “totally disabled” with a degenerative hip condition that ended his career.
8. Jake Arrieta and Mike Yastrzemski are recent examples of standouts the Orioles allowed to get away, but Richard Rodriguez has pitched to a 3.02 ERA and averaged 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings over the last three seasons for Pittsburgh after making five appearances with Baltimore in 2017. It happens.
9. Young infield prospect Gunnar Henderson struck out in his only plate appearance in Sunday’s loss, but his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame from the left side is an imposing sight. Whether he sticks at shortstop or ends up at third base, the 19-year-old is an exciting name to watch.
10. Maikel Franco didn’t fulfill expectations in Philadelphia as a former top prospect, but the 28-year-old posted a .778 OPS with 24 extra-base hits playing for Kansas City last year. Adding a potential trade chip and competition for Rio Ruiz wouldn’t be a bad idea for a club lacking infield depth.
11. Kudos to AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh for giving Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings a mic and earpiece for some extensive in-game interaction during Sunday’s game. Marketing your players and creating interest in your product should matter even when expectations are lacking in the win-loss department.
12. Former Orioles manager and 1983 World Series champion Joe Altobelli died last week at age 88. A member of the Rochester Red Wings and International League Halls of Fame, Altobelli belongs in the Orioles Hall of Fame and should have been inducted years ago.
