Hearing from Henry Urrutia and Tyler Wilson, plus some power rankings

When we talk about outfielders that could help the Orioles this year, it seems that Henry Urrutia seldom gets much mention.

But we should not forget that he hit .347 with a .913 OPS at Double-A and Triple-A in 2013, and .276 with the Orioles in 58 at-bats. He was named the O's minor league Player of the Year that season.

But last year was a setback for him.

Urrutia underwent sports hernia surgery. He was out from April 28 to July 5 and was limited to 51 games at Norfolk, where he hit .270 with no homers and 17 RBIs.

He did hit .303 in 122 at-bats after his return, but he said dealing with the injury made for a long and trying 2014 season.

"I just played for like 50 games," Urrutia said. "The last month, I was feeling a lot better after the surgery. But in the end of spring training, I was feeling something, I was not 100 percent. The first months at Triple-A were terrible for me. So I made the decision to stop and have the surgery.

"It was the most terrible few months, but now I feel good. Trainers like Dave Walker have really helped me and I feel good. I'm very excited for this spring. I think it's a big opportunity for me and I'm working hard."

Urrutia's work includes looking to add some power to his game and working to improve his defense.

"I'm working hard on my defense every day," he said. "Been working with a Dominican trainer and coach every day - on everything. If I want to play in the big leagues, I have to do perfect. It is not all about hitting, it is everything."

By the way, Urrutia answered every question during this interview by speaking very understandable English. He previously used an interpreter and has worked hard to improve his speaking skills. He's come a long way and should get credit for that.

I interviewed Urrutia recently when he appeared at a Bowie Baysox event. Pitcher Tyler Wilson was at the same event. The right-hander was the Orioles' 2014 minor league Pitcher of the Year after going a combined 14-8 with 3.67 ERA between Bowie and Norfolk.

Last month, Wilson attended the Orioles minicamp in Sarasota, Fla., where he got to meet with pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti.

Was this his first chance to get some face time with the O's pitching brass?

"Maybe for an extended period of time, definitely," he said. "With Dave and Dom being new last year, this was the first time I got to talk to them about a pitching plan and how I identify myself as a pitcher and my routine. That was extremely beneficial.

"They wanted to know how I go about my work and what I do between starts. But they also wanted to get to know who I am as a person, about my personal life, where I am from and what I'm hoping to accomplish. They definitely are on top of things and are great guys to be around."

Added to the 40-man roster in November, Wilson will be among the O's pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training this week. He knows the O's staff is pretty crowded right now and he's a long shot to make the team come opening day. But there is still a lot for him to gain over the next few weeks.

"My goal is to go in and enjoy it," he said. "To take every day as an opportunity to learn something, to improve on certain aspects of my game and be around all those guys for an extended period of time.

"Until the day comes where I am in the big leagues, this is my best chance to be around guys that have all that major league experience and know what it takes to get there, stay there and win at that level. I'll go in open-minded, keep my mouth shut and listen to what everybody has to say."

Wilson and three of his minor league teammates are now on the Orioles' 40-man roster, as pitchers Oliver Drake, Eddie Gamboa and Mike Wright were also added this winter.

"It is awesome. Having gone through the system with those guys and see how they handle themselves, it is awesome to see someone get rewarded for that," Wilson said. "I'm grateful for that myself and excited for those guys as well. Those are my friends. Been through the trenches with them."

Here are some MLB power rankings:

* Sportsonearth.com has the Orioles at No. 7.

* ESPN.com's David Schoenfield has the Orioles at No. 9.

* SI.com has the Orioles at No. 13.

Here are over/under win totals from Bovada:

Los Angeles Dodgers - 92½
Washington Nationals - 92½
Los Angeles Angels - 89½
St. Louis Cardinals - 88½
Boston Red Sox - 86½
Seattle Mariners - 86½
San Diego Padres - 85½
Detroit Tigers - 84½
San Francisco Giants - 84½
Cleveland Indians - 83½
Pittsburgh Pirates - 83½
Baltimore Orioles - 82½
Chicago Cubs - 82½
Toronto Blue Jays - 82½
Chicago White Sox - 81½
Miami Marlins - 81½
New York Mets - 81½
New York Yankees - 81½
Oakland Athletics - 80½
Kansas City Royals - 79½
Milwaukee Brewers - 78½
Tampa Bay Rays - 78½
Cincinnati Reds - 77½
Texas Rangers - 77½
Houston Astros - 74½
Atlanta Braves - 73½
Arizona Diamondbacks - 71½
Colorado Rockies - 71½
Minnesota Twins - 70½
Philadelphia Phillies - 68½

He nailed it with this story: ESPN's Tim Kurkjian does a wonderful job explaining the relationship between Buck Showalter and Adam Jones in this story. I can remember Showalter telling me years ago that he told Jones that if he wanted to be a leader on this team, he needed to bring his best game every day. The effort cannot be questioned. Jones does bring that every day and it is a big part of what the Orioles are all about.