Sharing Orioles observations through workouts and 13 exhibition games

SARASOTA, Fla. – The first of two off-days has arrived on the Orioles’ spring training schedule. Golf outings, fishing excursions, time with family, the choice to sleep late.

And that’s just the media.

The Orioles have played 13 games and won 11, a nice little statistic that means very little.

TT Bowens broke a 2-2 tie Sunday with a three-run, ninth-inning homer in Bradenton. Kade Strowd registered the save as the sixth reliever used behind starter Grayson Rodriguez, who was pulled after two-plus innings and 49 pitches.

Cade Povich tossed two scoreless innings to earn the victory.

See where I’m going here?

Povich will begin the season in Triple-A Norfolk’s rotation. Strowd has never pitched above Double-A. Bowens has never played above Double-A. They won’t be part of the Orioles roster on Opening Day.

Outfielder Daniel Johnson had a walk-off single last Thursday, after Silas Ardoin’s two-run triple and Errol Robinson’s game-tying RBI single. Coby Mayo broke a 4-4 tie last night with a two-run double in the eighth inning, and he certainly isn't promised the chance to jog down the orange carpet.

Opponents aren't saving their closers for the ninth.

Yennier Cano hadn’t gotten into a game until Monday. Gunnar Henderson didn’t make his spring debut until Monday. John Means won’t pitch in a Grapefruit League game.

The Orioles could be undefeated under normal circumstances.

I love winning. It’s like, better than losing. But it isn’t indicative of how a team will fare in the regular season. Too much substituting and too many lineups that contain players who are ticketed for the minors.

Manager Brandon Hyde has downplayed the record at least twice, saying Friday in North Port that it “really doesn’t mean anything right now.” He’s happier about the defense and individual performances.  

But sure, form the congratulatory line that’s missing the starters who came out early and already showered and left. It’s spring training. Go ahead and practice everything before breaking camp.

While the champagne remains on ice and clubhouse attendants wait to cover the spring lockers in plastic, here are some observations from usually sunny Florida as the countdown continues toward the March 28 opener against the Angels at Camden Yards.

* Colton Cowser’s .115 average and .433 OPS in 26 major league games last year aren’t close to being indicative of his talent and his future with the Orioles.

Cowser was the fifth-overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Sam Houston State. He hit .354 with 24 home runs and a 1.067 OPS in three college seasons and batted .374/.490/.680 with a conference-leading 16 homers as a junior.

“He’s a five-tool player, and he’s somebody we project will impact our team and our lineup, both offensively and defensively,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said on draft night. “It’s rare to get those types of physical tools and all five of them in a college performer like we just did.”

Cowser didn’t suddenly forget how to hit. He’s had to adjust at every level.

* Kyle Stowers two hits in 30 at-bats with the Orioles last season aren’t close to being indicative of his talent and his future with the Orioles.

Stowers had four doubles, a triple and three home runs in 34 games in 2022 and broke camp with the team last spring. He was outstanding in Triple-A when healthy, but a shoulder injury and fractured nose pretty much ruined his season – and certainly his chances at a September call-up, which was under consideration.

The Orioles never soured on Stowers, a catchy line that belongs on a sign or T-shirt or something. They loved the tools in 2019 after drafting him in the second round out of Stanford University, undeterred by the swing-and-miss tendencies, and Stowers still has them.

He’s also a force against left-handers, perhaps lessening the need for a right-handed bat.

FanGraphs rated Stowers as the No. 32 prospect in the draft and the Orioles got him with the 71^st pick. And they have no regrets.

* Dillon Tate should be in the Opening Day bullpen.

We have a long way to go, and Tate has made only three appearances.

I don’t care. Tate has retired all nine batters faced with three strikeouts, and I remember his importance to the club in 2022.

The Orioles haven’t forgotten. Elias was in the front office and Hyde was in the dugout. They know what Tate brings to the table when healthy, including a killer sinker that can induce timely ground balls.

The Rangers made Tate the fourth-overall pick in the 2015 draft and couldn’t develop him as a starter. The Yankees tried and failed, and they sent him to the Orioles with pitchers Cody Carroll and Josh Rogers in the 2018 Zack Britton trade.

Tate arrived for the teardown, stayed through the rebuild and was a huge contributor to the 83-win team in 2022 that left the Orioles above .500 for the first time since 2016.

They took a giant leap without him last season. They took great pride in guys stepping up. Tate can return the favor just by being his 2022 self, which is how he’s looked.

"Heavy sinker's back and throwing sliders for strikes," Hyde said last night. "Threw some changeups last appearance. But you can definitely see from the dugout the sinker's sinking and he's going to get a ton of ground balls. And feeling healthy after every outing. Nice to see him back out there, and just really good stuff."

* Tyler Nevin is helping himself one way or the other.

Nevin is out of options and facing an uphill climb to make the club as a backup corner infielder and outfielder. These aren’t areas of weakness.

Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías, the latter a Gold Glove winner in 2022, can play third base. First baseman Ryan Mountcastle is healthy and a powerful bat in the middle of the order, and Ryan O’Hearn joins him as a lock to be introduced on Opening Day after performing at a level last summer that made him a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year.

Austin Hays and Anthony Santander are entrenched as starters in left and right, respectively. One or two extras are more likely to come from the Cowser/Stowers/Heston Kjerstad/Ryan McKenna pile.

So, where does this leave Nevin?

First, he’s done exactly what the Orioles wanted and probably expected. He was 8-for-18 with a double and home run through Sunday and singled last night in his only at-bat.

Second, other teams are watching and Nevin could be a waiver claim if the Orioles try to remove him from the 40-man roster. He’s improving his chances of having a job.

* Jorge Mateo makes it hard to move on from him.

Mateo has blazing speed and he won a Fielding Bible Award at shortstop in 2022. He was a top 100 prospect but unable to break through with any organization, in part because he lacked opportunities. But also, teams gave up on him, plain and simple.

I wrote it in 2021 and I’ll write it again here: The Orioles were smart to claim him from the Padres and designate Pat Valaika for assignment. Mateo had a much higher ceiling.

Everyone seemed to view Mateo’s first month last season as a sign that he’d finally reach his offensive potential, and the Orioles would have a star shortstop cluttering the path for Henderson and Jackson Holliday. He hit .347/.395/.667 with five doubles, six home runs and 17 RBIs in his first 23 games and stole 10 bases in 11 attempts.

We know the rest of the story. Mateo hit only one more home run the rest of the season, an inside-the-park thriller in August in Oakland and finished with a .217/.267/.340 line.

Mateo homered twice in a game last week and singled in his first at-bat last night to leave his average at .294 with a 1.074 OPS. He’s working out in center field and made his first start there on Sunday in Bradenton. No one is talking about him as a shortstop. It’s utility or bust.

The Orioles can’t quit Mateo. Not yet, anyway. They’re just trying to figure out how to get the most out of those tools.

Also, keep talking him up and see if another team is listening.

* The organization maintains its cautious ways.

Side soreness held back Connor Norby’s spring debut until Sunday. Henderson had to wait until Monday. They were engaged in full baseball activities but couldn’t convince the club to turn them loose any earlier.

Means won’t pitch in an exhibition game and he’s 100 percent healthy, just behind the other starters because the Orioles wouldn’t clear him to begin throwing until about a month after everyone else.

Cano is 100 percent healthy but sitting on his lone appearance on Monday because of his 2023 workload.

None of this is a criticism as much as it is an observation that the Orioles plant their flag on the side of caution.

Henderson singled twice and doubled last night. The club must know what it’s doing.

* Coby Mayo's big bat is getting overshadowed a bit by his glove.

Who would have thought it possible?

Hyde has referenced Mayo's improved defense multiple times this spring. He did it again last night.

"I know the bat's going to play and he's going to be a good hitter," Hyde said. "I'm more impressed by his defense. The strides he's made defensively at third base, massive strides since last year. That's exciting for me.

"We've got to be able to play good defense and he's really worked hard at it and made huge strides at it."

Said Mayo: "I think that's the biggest thing is trying to prove to them that I can play defense and that my glove can get to where my bat is. I've worked really hard over the past few years and especially offseason was a lot of hard work after the season ended, got right back on the field and just try to do what I can to get to where I am right now."

Mayo worked on being more of an athlete, moving better, being quicker. And he needed to find an arm slot that made his throws more accurate, which led to sessions with infield coordinator Tim DeJean.

"We made huge strides and I'm really happy where I'm at right now," Mayo said, "but there's obviously still a lot of work to do."

* Johnson is a leading candidate for a non-existent award.

A friend suggested to me earlier in camp that the media should come up with an NRI MVP, or “non-roster invite Most Valuable Player” if you need me to spell it out for you.

The idea didn’t gain much traction beyond how it’s somewhat amusing. More likely, we’ll agree to come up with a “media good guy” award like some other beats.

The original list of NRIs released by the team contained only one outfielder, Johnson, signed to a minor league deal on Jan. 23 after appearing in 35 games with Cleveland between 2020-21.

The baseball ground didn’t shake with the announcement, but Johnson began this week 6-for-17 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, three RBIs and a walk-off single.

Johnson has one minor league option remaining and can provide organizational depth if a spot isn’t open for him in late March and he doesn’t change. He’s a left-handed hitter who plays all three outfield positions.

Robinson began the week 4-for-10 with a game-tying hit, and he walked in his lone plate appearance Tuesday, stole two bases and scored. But he wasn’t an invite. He’s just spent a lot of time in camp.

Of course, there’s also Mayo, who doesn’t need to be protected in the Rule 5 draft until December. He’s probably going to be on the 40-man roster this season, removing that task from the club.

Julio Teheran is gaining ground after his late arrival.

Left-hander Andrew Suárez hasn’t allowed a run in his first three appearances totaling five innings, with only one hit surrendered. He’s trying to stay ahead of Albert for a separate “Best Suárez” award. Albert has tossed five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts.