One of the most popular players in Orioles history is returning to the organization.

Long-time outfielder Adam Jones, revered in Baltimore for his production at the plate, defense, leadership and charitable work over 11 seasons, has been hired as special advisor to the general manager and community ambassador.

The club made the announcement this morning in a release, explaining that Jones will “advise executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias on various matters and serve as a resource for the rest of the baseball operations department and Orioles major and minor league players.”

Jones will serve as a guest instructor in spring training, marking the beginning of his new role. He has visited the Ed Smith Stadium complex in the past, in part due to his work for the players association, and signed autographs for fans.

The job will have Jones participating in a multitude of club-sponsored community service projects, such as the adopt-a-school partnership with Harlem Park Elementary Middle School, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) and the Challenger League. He’s also going to interact with Birdland Members, corporate partners, fans and members of the front office as an Orioles representative.

The club today announced that long-time Orioles outfielder ADAM JONES officially returns to the organization as a Special Advisor to the General Manager and Community Ambassador.

In this role, Jones will advise Executive Vice President & General Manager MIKE ELIAS on various matters and serve as a resource for the rest of the Baseball Operations department and Orioles major and minor league players.

Jones will continue to have an impact on the Baltimore community, participating in several club-sponsored community service projects including with the club’s adopt-a-school partnership with Harlem Park Elementary Middle School, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), and the Challenger League. Through a myriad of events and opportunities, he will interact with Birdland Members, Corporate Partners, fans, and members of the front office as a representative of the club. Jones will mark the beginning of this role when he joins the Orioles in Sarasota to serve as a guest coach this Spring Training.

“I am grateful for the Orioles relationships I have formed since my retirement, which have led us to this exciting partnership. Having the opportunity to be around the game that I love, while also learning the operations side of baseball from one of the best General Managers is truly an honor. I am happy to be a resource for the Orioles organization and will offer everything I’ve learned from past experience to help the team succeed,” shared Jones. “Baltimore has always meant so much to me, and this unique role will allow me to continue giving back to the community I love. This is a special opportunity and I’m eager to embrace it fully.”

“Adam was a tremendous representative of the Orioles on and off the field while he was a player,” said Elias. “We are excited to formally welcome him back to our team, and we look forward to utilizing his experience, expertise, and perspective to help the franchise achieve sustained excellence.”

Let’s take a look today at the longball. Hitting homers was something the 2024 Orioles did quite well, about as well as any team in the majors last year and they were among the best power-hitting teams in 71 years of Orioles baseball.

The Birds hit 235 home runs to rank second-best in the American League and in the majors to the Yankees, who hit 237.

In the 2023 season there were a whopping 13 teams that hit 200 or more home runs, led by Atlanta that led MLB that season hitting 307. That Braves team with 307 tied the 2019 Minnesota Twins for most homers in a single-season in MLB history. The only other club ever to hit 300 or more was the 2019 Yankees with 306.

In 2024, there were six MLB teams hitting 200 or more:

237 – Yankees
235 – Orioles
233 – Dodgers
213 – Braves
211 – Diamondbacks
207 – Mets

When the playoffs started, I predicted an Eagles-Bills Super Bowl in a beat writer text thread. No one else had Philadelphia, but I cited its defense, offensive line and weapons in the backfield and at receiver and tight end.

I got it half right. Josh Allen just came along at the wrong time, in the midst of the Chiefs dynasty.

I also knew that I’d have leftovers from my last mailbag. A precedent is set.

Here are some extras.

Outfield versatility is a great thing, usually for substitutions or resting the starters. But Brandon Hyde used to switch Austin Hays and Anthony Santander to the opposite corners occasionally when they were both almost everyday starters. It might have depended on the road park and its dimensions. Happened maybe even at Fenway Park. Think we'll see Tyler O'Neill and Colton Cowser at both corners even as everyday starters in the same lineup?
I don’t think Cowser is locked into left field and O’Neill into right, but those will be their primary positions. They could switch on occasion. Moving Santander to the other corner made sense in some ballparks if there was more ground to cover in right. Hays had better range, of course. O’Neill has won two Gold Gloves. Hyde could be less inclined to make that switch.

As we are now just a few weeks away from the start of spring training and the new season, today let’s take a look at the O’s roster in terms of four components.

They are the offense and defense and the pitching – starting pitching and the bullpen.

We don’t know the Opening Day roster yet, obviously, or the final roster that will start camp, but at this point it’s pretty set. Yes, we could get a change or a few of them, but today we're going with what they have right now to assess how it all looks.

If you break those four down, I see all four as solid units for the team heading into the season. I will rank them as they look today, from strongest to weakest:

Offense

Major League Baseball’s best shortstop, right now, is the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson. So says MLB Network during its Top Ten Right Now series that has been airing in recent days.

Well not everyone at the network feels that way but the “shredder” does which is MLB Network’s model that I presume takes all the stats and data and provides a formula for ranking the players.

It’s quite an honor when you consider who Henderson is up against.

Here is their official top 10:

1) Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles.

Orioles control owner David Rubenstein spoke to Yahoo Finance this week at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He mentioned twice how the Orioles are in “pretty good shape," endorsed a salary cap and went over some of the ballpark renovations.

The club’s payroll has risen to 15^th in the majors at $156 million, per Roster Resource, and we’re waiting for the outcome of Jorge Mateo’s salary figure exchange. He’s seeking $4 million and the Orioles countered at $3.1 million.

Rubenstein described the payroll as “consistent with our needs,” and added, “I don’t think anybody is not playing with the Orioles because of money reasons."

“Spending the most money doesn’t always guarantee you a World Series championship," he added, "and in fact many times people with smaller payrolls have won the World Series. I’m reasonably optimistic we’re gonna do well this year.”

Rubenstein explained how the luxury tax works, with a penalty incurred for teams going over it.

I was the first writer hired to work at MASNsports.com. It was, I think, late in 2007 or maybe early in 2008. It all runs together now. But there I was writing articles called blogs about the Orioles at a place that most people didn’t know even existed back then.

But I put in the time and effort then and now, too, and here I am about 17 years later still writing for MASN.

Well, at least for a few more days.

Over the years, I have gained experience and knowledge on how to write game stories and also how to re-write game stories in the last of the ninth. To write about the minors and the majors. To write about the draft, trades, waiver claims, injuries and anything and everything about the Orioles.

Even about those we lost along the way like Brooks Robinson and Mike Flanagan.

The Orioles today announced the club’s minor league coaching staffs and player development assignments for the 2025 season. The coaching staffs of Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Chesapeake, High-A Aberdeen, and Single-A Delmarva are listed below, along with the Florida Complex League and Dominican Summer League Orioles.

Managers ROBERTO MERCADO (Chesapeake/Bowie), COLLIN WOODY (Delmarva), CHRISTIAN FRIAS (FCL Orioles), and CHRIS MADERA and ELBIS MOREL (DSL Orioles) return to their same posts, TIM FEDEROWICZ (Norfolk) joins the organization, and RYAN GOLL (Aberdeen) becomes a manager for the first time in his career.

Federowicz (pronounced fed-er-ROH-vitch) joins the organization after managing Triple-A Toledo (DET) in 2024. He served as a major league catching coach for the Detroit Tigers in 2023 and was the manager for Triple-A Tacoma (SEA) in 2022. Federowicz retired after the 2021 season following a 13-year professional career that included parts of eight in the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers. The former catcher also earned a silver medal with Team USA in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Pitching Coach JUSTIN RAMSEY and Hitting Coach MIKE MONTVILLE, a former University of Maryland product, both return. Fundamentals Coach FELIPE ROJAS ALOU, JR., who has managed the last three seasons between Aberdeen and Delmarva, begins his 18^th year in the organization. He will also serve as third base coach. Development Coach BILLY FACTEAU joins Norfolk from Chesapeake/Bowie. Athletic Trainer ALAN RAIL, ATC and Assistant Athletic Trainer SETH ELLANSON, ATC return in their same roles while Strength and Conditioning Coach SAM SAUER joins the Tides from Chesapeake/Bowie. ADAM SEHLMEYER returns as Norfolk’s clubhouse manager.

Mercado returns to Double-A for a second straight year. He also spent time in the Arizona Fall League in 2024 and led the Surprise Saguaros to a runner-up finish. Mercado was honored with the organization’s Cal Ripken, Sr. Player Development Award and led the IronBirds to the South Atlantic League championship series in 2022. Hitting Coach JOSH BUNSELMEYER, Fundamentals Coach CHASE SEBBY, and Athletic Trainer JULIO IBARRA, ATC return while Pitching Coach JORDIE HENRY, Strength and Conditioning Coach CHRIS FROSCH, and Development Coach CALVIN CHRISTIANSEN join the team from Delmarva. JON WEINBERG returns as clubhouse manager.

Goll transitions from development coach with Aberdeen last season to manager for the first time in his professional career. He will continue to serve as offseason camp coordinator. Goll joined the organization in 2020 after gaining valuable coaching experience with the University of Minnesota, USA Baseball, Eau Claire Express of the Northwoods League, and the Rochester John Marshall Junior Legion program. Hitting Coach ZACH COLE and Athletic Trainer TORI ATENCIO, ATC are both back with the IronBirds, while Pitching Coach JEREMY HILEMAN and Development Coach ADONIS SMITH enter their first year in the organization. Fundamentals Coach DANIEL FAJARDO, who spent eight years as a player in Baltimore’s farm system, and Strength and Conditioning Coach JUAN SANCHEZ join from Delmarva. Clubhouse Manager HERB OTTO returns.

Woody is set to manage Delmarva for a second straight year after making his managerial debut last season. He spent three seasons as an infielder in the organization from 2016-18. Hitting Coach CHRISTIAN POULSEN and Athletic Trainer GRIFFIN PYOTT, ATC return while Pitching Coach CASEY DAY shifts roles from a development coach in the FCL. Development Coach CASEY BUCKLEY has been promoted after serving as a staff assistant and bullpen catcher role the last few seasons. Fundamentals Coach LUIS SILVERIO is a newcomer to the organization. Strength and Conditioning Coach WILL REICHEL joins from the DSL. MASON GOMEZ returns as clubhouse manager.

Frias returns to manage the FCL Orioles for a fourth straight season, his sixth year in the organization. He previously worked as a coach at Wabash Valley College (IL) and the University of Rio Grande (OH), his alma mater. Frias played three professional seasons as an infielder in the Toronto Blue Jays system. Pitching Coach ADAM BLEDAY and Hitting Coach TEEGAN LEADER return, while Pitching Coach BAILEY VUYLSTEKE and Hitting Coach JAKE RATZ join the staff from the DSL. RAMÓN SAMBO, LANDON LASSITER, and JAMES JOHNSON will serve as fundamentals coaches, with Lassiter returning, Sambo added from Norfolk, and Johnson transitioning from FCL staff assistant and bullpen catcher role the last couple of seasons. QUENTIN HOLMES and CADE JOHNSON join the system as development coaches. Athletic Trainer SARA PADILLA, ATC enters her fifth season in the system, while Athletic Trainer BRIANNA MOSKAL is new to the organization. Strength and Conditioning Coach GABE SANCHEZ returns while Strength and Conditioning Coach AUSTIN KUENNEN enters his first year in the role after serving as seasonal dietician last season. NATE SNYDER and MATT HENDERSON will return as clubhouse managers.

Madera and Morel return to manage in the DSL. Morel is entering his 19^th year as a DSL manager while Madera begins his sixth season. Pitching Coach DIONIS PASCUAL returns, and JOHN NOWAK is a new hire as pitching coach. GEORGE BELL, son of 1987 American League MVP George Bell, will again serve as hitting coach along with JAKE WELCH, who is new to the organization. MIGUEL JABALERA returns for a 32^nd season in the organization while JERRY CHAVARRIA enters his second year, both of whom will serve as fundamentals coaches. Development Coach NICK KROPIDLOWSKI is in his fourth year in the organization. MAGGIE HUNT, ATC will again serve as athletic trainer along with newcomer NATHAN KIRK. Strength and Conditioning Coach DANIEL VARGAS remains in the same role. Equipment Manager JOSE FRIAS returns.

Overseeing one of the top farm systems in all of baseball are Vice President, Player Development and Domestic Scouting MATT BLOOD, who enters his second season in the role and his sixth season with the Orioles, Director of Minor League Operations KENT QUALLS, returning for his 13^th season in the position, and Director of Player Development ANTHONY VILLA, who enters his second year in the role and sixth in the organization. FORREST HERRMANN was promoted to director of pitching development. Upper-Level Hitting Coordinator SHERMAN JOHNSON was named assistant hitting coach on the MLB staff in November. Lower-Level Hitting Coordinator BRINK AMBLER, Coordinator of Minor League Operations RAMÓN ALARCÓN, Education Coordinator ANAÍMA GARCÍA, Dominican Academy Administrator RANCEL ROSADO, Latin America Pitching Coordinator ANDERSON TAVAREZ, Latin America Coordinator of Instruction SAMUEL VEGA, who won the 2024 Cal Ripken, Sr. Player Development Award, Minor League Field Coordinator JEFF KUNKEL, and Manager of Player Development, Complexes JACKSON McDONNELL all return in their roles. Infield Coordinator TIM DeJOHN returns for his fourth season in the organization. Pitching Coordinator ADAM SCHUCK and Senior Manager of Baseball Technology and Initiatives JOE BOTELHO were both promoted. Player Development Hitting Analyst RICHARD COSGROVE shifts from FCL development coach. Minor League Hitting Coordinator DALTON HURD and Complex Pitching Development Coordinator CORY POPHAM join the organization. SCOTT STANSBURY, ATC continues as minor league medical coordinator with AJ CANO, ATC moving to assistant minor league medical coordinator. BYRON CAMPBELL moves to senior organizational physical therapist. ALBERT NAVARRO and SAMANTHA SWACKHAMMER join the organization as international medical coordinator and minor league physical therapist, respectively. NICK WHITE returns as head of strength and performance, leading the minor league strength and conditioning team, which includes newly promoted Director WILL ALLI. Rehab Strength Coordinator and Conditioning Coordinator BRANDON FARISH, Biomechanist JOEY MYLOTT, Human Performance Coach ALEJANDRO MACARIO, and Mental Skills Coach DIAMYN HALL all return in their same roles, along with Sports Scientist ISAAC LOPEZ, who was seasonal last year. Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coordinator JON MEDICI transitions to the role from Norfolk. JULIO DIAZ will serve as Latin America strength and conditioning coordinator. ELENA GOMEZ and VICTORIA PEREZ will return as teachers. Minor League Equipment Manager JAKE PARKER returns for his 16^th season.

When Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki signed as an international amateur with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball’s defending World Series winners got a top pitcher for a very modest signing amount.

The rich got richer.

That angered some fans who speculated that the Dodgers had some sort of handshake agreement to add Sasaki all along. I don’t know about that, but the industry seemed to expect the Dodgers to get him months ago and they did.

What troubled me about the team recruitment of Sasaki was his “homework assignment” for various clubs during the recruiting process. What he asked teams to do before meeting with him. And that was to assess why his fastball lost some velocity in Japan during the 2024 season and how they would fix that.

I don’t know how many teams completed their homework assignment, but clearly some teams went deep into possibly helping the pitcher fix his fastball and did not even get him on their team. That sounds to me like Sasaki and his camp crossed a line here or pushed an envelope a step or two too far. Tell me how I can be better so I can take that to my new team and stay good, he seemed to be saying.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• RHP Roansy Contreras claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees

After trading numerous prospects over the last year or two and graduating others to the big leagues to help a team contend for the last two seasons, the O’s farm system has, predictably, taken a bit of a hit.

They no longer are the No. 1 ranked farm after a long run at the top and for now it seems, their days of populating top 100 lists up and down the rankings, may be limited for now.

In the latest initial release of the Baseball America top 100 prospects poll – the 2025 version of the ranking which first came out in 1990 – the Orioles have three players ranked in the top 100.

Catcher Samuel Basallo, who was No. 10 this time last year, is ranked No. 14. Coby Mayo, No. 25 this time last year, is ranked No. 29 and Heston Kjerstad, No. 41 on the list last January, is now No. 81. Basallo, age 20, is the highest-rated catcher on the BA top 100.

There was a time when three top 100 ranked players was an upgrade for the Orioles, who had two players ranked in 2015, none in 2016 and one in 2017.

The expanded menu features 11 items $5 or less

The Orioles today, along with their hospitality partner Brick & Whistle, operated by Levy, and beverage partner Coca-Cola Consolidated, announced their new Birdland Value Menu, which will be offered throughout the ballpark in 2025. The menu will feature more than 12 items, including adult beverages.

“Our fans are the heart and soul of this organization. By offering more affordable food and beverage options, we are directly reflecting our commitment to them,” said CATIE GRIGGS, President of Business Operations for the Orioles. “We want Oriole Park at Camden Yards to be a welcoming place where all fans can feel at home and have a great time. We believe these changes will greatly enhance the overall fan experience, allowing everyone to create the experience that best fits their needs.”

Fans will be able to purchase the items at various locations throughout Oriole Park, including along the main concourse and in the Upper Deck. In addition to food items like hot dogs, pretzel bites, and nachos, the Birdland Value Menu will also feature a refillable soda cup that can be used at new fan-facing Coca-Cola fountain machines located in the concourses, select beers, non-alcoholic beers, and seltzers. Fans will still be permitted to bring in outside food and beverage, in accordance with the Orioles gameday guidelines, which can be found at Orioles.com/Guide.

The Orioles continue to make it a priority to make Oriole Park one of the most family friendly ballparks throughout Major League Baseball. With tickets available for as low as $15, their Kids Cheer Free Program, sponsored by Baltimore Area Chick-fil-A Restaurants, and the addition of the Birdland Value Menu, a family of four can enjoy an Orioles game for less than $100.

Sure, there are durability questions about Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill, a player they signed via free agency in December. But last year he took 473 plate appearances to rank fifth-most on the Boston Red Sox and the O’s would probably take that and run with it right now.

Especially with his 2024 stats.

Over 113 games – his most since 2021 – O’Neill hit .241/.336/.511/.847 with 18 doubles, 31 homers, 74 runs and 61 RBIs. He posted an 11.2 walk percentage and 33.6 strikeout percentage.

Among the 2024 Orioles, only Anthony Santander and Gunnar Henderson out-homered him. Among 2024 O’s with 100 or more plate appearances, only Henderson (.893) topped him in OPS. Only Santander and Henderson exceeded his OPS+ of 132.

After he produced a .700 OPS in 2022 and .715 in 2023, O’Neill put up his best numbers since 2021 last year. That season, when he finished eighth for the NL MVP with St. Louis, he hit 34 homers, had a .912 OPS and produced 6.1 Wins Above Replacement per baseball-reference.com that was fifth among all NL position players.

The Baltimore Orioles today announced that MARK FINE will join the organization as the Chief Marketing Officer, and KAMAAL JONES as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel. Fine will lead the marketing, communications, and creative content departments, while Jones will lead all in-house legal and compliance operations for the club.

“We are thrilled to have Mark and Kamaal join our organization as we continue to expand and elevate our front office,” shared CATIE GRIGGS, Orioles President of Business Operations. “Both Mark and Kamaal are proven leaders who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that will provide our organization with tremendous guidance, innovative ideas, and a passion for the opportunities ahead.”

"I am deeply honored to be joining the Orioles, a team that has always held a special place in my heart as a Baltimore native,” shared Fine. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with one of the most passionate fan bases in sports, build on the Orioles' rich legacy, and create innovative, fan-first experiences that bring our community closer to the game we all love."

“As a lifelong Marylander, I have vivid childhood memories of Orioles games at Memorial Stadium and the iconic Camden Yards. I couldn’t be more thrilled to now join such a legendary organization,” shared Jones. “This is an exciting time for the team and its passionate fans, with terrific play on the field and a potentially transformative vision for Camden Yards and its Baltimore home.”

Fine has served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Professional Bull Riders (PBR), the largest bull riding organization in the world, since August 2023. There he oversaw all aspects of marketing including live events, content, and digital, and was a contributor to parent company Endeavor’s broader network of sports and entertainment properties, working out of UFC’s corporate headquarters in Las Vegas.

Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, not only leaving the Orioles' division, but their league too. Corbin Burnes signed with Arizona and Roki Sasaki is a Los Angeles Dodger.

But the O’s on Monday saw one of their own sign with another club and also stay in the American League East when outfielder Anthony Santander agreed to a five-year deal worth $92.5 million with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Jays didn’t sign but tried to get Shohei Ohtani, Sasaki, Soto, Burnes and Max Fried. But they finally did get one, with Santander coming off a 44-homer season that ranked third-best in the majors.

He also drove in 102 runs last year – the first Oriole with 100 or more since Jonathan Schoop with 105 in 2017 – and produced an OPS of .814 and OPS+ of 134. Santander, who turned 30 in October, finished 2024 ninth in the AL in RBIs, 11^th in slugging and 13^th in OPS.

And his payday came Monday. I guess all that talk of his on-base percentage and defense didn’t keep him from getting some big dollars.

The Orioles got their last look at Anthony Santander in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series as he stood in their clubhouse and soaked in another painful scene. A quick playoff ouster, similar to the previous October’s sweep in Texas. The consoling hugs, the realization that many teammates wouldn’t be back.

He stood at his locker, motionless, and scanned the room, as if taking mental snapshots.

Santander will get to experience a reunion with who’s left in a couple of months.

The Blue Jays reportedly have reached agreement with Santander on a five-year deal for more than $90 million. The contract includes a club option.

Update: The New York Post's Jon Heyman says the deal is worth $92.5 million.

Hey at least they didn’t get Juan Soto. Somehow the Los Angeles Dodgers, who did get pitchers Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott in their latest star additions, will have to try and repeat their World Series title without Soto. He went to the New York Mets.

But the Dodgers still had a pretty good weekend, getting Sasaki Friday and Scott, the former Oriole reliever, on Sunday. They were pretty quiet on Saturday.

But even when it came time to get a player who could only sign as an international amateur and would not necessarily go to the highest bidder and was, theoretically available to all 30 teams, the Dodgers got him too in adding Sasaki.

And keep this in mind. Sasaki, who is rookie eligible, could very likely bring the Dodgers a draft pick by winning National League Rookie of the Year or with a top three MVP finish. He is expected to be a Prospect Performance Incentive eligible player.

For this now great team, this all seemed to truly start rolling in December of 2023 when the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani for $700 million. And then we found out about $680 million was deferred. Say what?

The big free agent reliever name fell off the board yesterday. In predictable fashion, it landed in the Dodgers organization.

Former Orioles left-hander Tanner Scott received a four-year, $72 million contract that reportedly will include a $20 million signing bonus and $21 million deferred. The Dodgers already are paying starters Blake Snell $182 million for five years and Roki Sasaki $6.5 million in an international free agent signing bonus, Teoscar Hernández $66 million for three years, reliever Blake Treinen $22 million for two years and outfielder Michael Conforto $17 million this season.

No team has repeated as World Series champion since the 2000 Yankees. The Giants kept trying by winning in 2010, ’12 and ’14. The Dodgers are really trying.

The Orioles tried to bring back Scott. They were engaged in talks, but the Dodgers pulled away at four/$72 million.

My first thought: Again, it’s amazing how Scott’s career has turned after the Orioles traded him to the Marlins, along with reliever Cole Sulser, for three minor leaguers on April 3, 2022. Outfielder Kevin Guerrero batted .205/.258/.295 last summer in 76 games with Single-A Delmarva. Left-hander Antonio Velez pitched in the independent American Association. Reliever Yaqui Rivera, the player to be named later, went 7-1 with a 1.99 ERA in 37 relief appearances with High-A Aberdeen and struck out 59 batters 54 1/3 innings.

It's getting closer and closer with each day that goes by. The start of the 2025 baseball season. We can now say spring training begins next month. The first spring game is set for Feb. 22 and Opening Day is March 27 at 3:07 p.m. at Rogers Centre, where the O's will play the Toronto Blue Jays. 

With the Blue Jays for now projecting an all right-handed rotation and the O's possibly to face Kevin Gausman or José Berríos in that opener, I took a look recently in this space at a possible O's lineup for Game 1.

This is what I came up with:

SS – Gunnar Henderson
3B – Jordan Westburg
DH – Ryan O’Hearn
RF – Tyler O’Neill
1B – Ryan Mountcastle
LF – Colton Cowser
C – Adley Rutschman
CF – Cedric Mullins
2B – Jackson Holliday

For now I don't see anyone better to put in the top spot than Henderson. At some point in his career he will probably move more into the middle of the order. But I don't think we are there yet. Readers, many of you, seemed to like Westburg being moved up to the No. 2 spot. He batted mostly fifth last year and could hit just about anywhere. He had an .808 OPS last season versus righty pitching.