SARASOTA, Fla. - Dylan Bundy is in camp with the Orioles with one goal in mind, and it's not to be introduced on opening day.
Give the kid credit for being a realist.
"It's to learn from all these older guys and pick their brains and see what they're thinking and what their thought process is on the field and learn as much baseball as I can while I'm here," he said.
The clubhouse isn't filled with veteran pitchers who fit the mentor profile, but Bundy is 19 years old. They're all older guys. Chris Tillman is grandfatherly by comparison.
"I want to learn how these people act around here in the clubhouse," he said, "and come out of here smarter than I was about the game of baseball."
Bundy is likely to begin his professional career with low Single-A Delmarva.
"I want to be in high A, but I'm sure it will probably be low A," he said. "Whatever the team decides is fine with me."
How quickly does Bundy envision himself reaching the majors?
"I'd like to be there next year," he said. "That's the best goal I can absolutely have and I'm going to try my hardest to reach it, and I feel very confident that there's a chance and the organization's going to give me the chance to make it. We'll see. This is my first full season and 142 games is a lot in the minor leagues. And 162 is just a whole new level."
Bundy will throw this morning for the first time since arriving in camp. He's itching to get back on the mound, and even more so to get into an actual game.
"Very much," he said. "I've thrown like 40 bullpens without throwing a major league pitch, so we'll see."
If you're looking for a better-conditioned pitcher than Bundy, it's going to take a while. His body fat might be in negative digits. And he's already got a big league scowl on his face, and that's just when he's reaching for a Powerade.
Zach Britton will long-toss again today, his third flat ground session since Thursday. The bigger test comes Tuesday when he attempts to go back-to-back days and ease whatever concerns remain about his left shoulder.
Also, look for Adam Jones to report to camp today. His flight arrived here yesterday.
The Orioles will take the field around 10 a.m. for their second workout.
By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.masnsports.com/