Opening Day leftovers for breakfast

TORONTO – The Orioles had one of those days in the opener that goes from successful to surreal. Every at-bat seemed to approach, tie or set a record. Tracking it in real time was exhausting.

A 12-2 thrashing of the Blue Jays showed just how potent the offense can be – one of, if not the best, in baseball. And wait until Gunnar Henderson returns.

Don’t rush him back from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk. He might kill the mojo.

I’m kidding, of course. But don’t rush him.

Further review and reflection last night led to these observations:

The Orioles prefer Jordan Westburg at second base and Ramón Urías at third.

They can switch up – this is versatile infield - but it’s clear how much the Orioles favor Urías at the corner, where he won a Gold Glove in 2022. The defensive metrics, meanwhile, grade Urías higher at second and Westburg at third.

Those metrics don’t write out the lineup card.

“If Urías is in the lineup, the majority of time he’s gonna be at third base, and that means Westy plays second,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“I think they’re both good players. I think Urías is more comfortable at third. He won a Gold Glove there. He’s just played third base a lot more than Westy has.”

Urías charged Alejandro Kirk’s slow roller in the second inning and fired to first base for the out.

Albert Suárez will repeat his role from 2024.

That isn’t to say that Suárez will make 24 starts again and eight relief appearances, but he’s on the team to provide coverage in the rotation and bullpen.

Suárez broke camp as one of eight relievers because Cade Povich beat him out for a starting job and he’s out of options. He’s also with the club because he can cover innings however he’s used.

“The way we’re gonna start out, anything can happen,” Hyde said. “We’ve seen that the past few years. As of right now he’s gonna be our kind of long swing guy. He’s gonna be able to give us multiple innings out of the bullpen. Does he get reinserted into the rotation soon? Well, that’s yet to be determined. We’re keeping him ready to be a starter at some point throughout the season, also, but right now he’s gonna be a long man in the bullpen.”

Adley Rutschman’s ordered his spring roll.

Rutschman batted .357/.438/.595 with three home runs in 16 games down in Florida. He left his disappointing second half in the dust.

Doing his usual Opening Day damage yesterday, Rutschman homered twice, singled and drove in three runs. He put a ball in the second deck in right field.

“Spring training, you're always working on stuff, but you also want to compete and have success, because we're all competitors in this game,” he said. “I think that's kind of the biggest thing is you're trying to work on stuff while also like competing in the box, and you don't want to give any ABs away.”

“The way he swung the bat in spring training, it looked as locked in as I’ve seen him,” Hyde said. “He was really excited for this game to start today. He was like a little kid in the clubhouse and during batting practice. I think he’s playing so motivated right now and awesome to see him get off to a really good start.” 

Tyler O’Neill knows how to blend.

The Orioles have become known for their culture and team chemistry. Players who leave offer strong endorsements. It’s a positive experience.

O’Neill gets a lot of attention for his guns, and not the NRA kind, but he made an immediate impression on Hyde and teammates. He’s a good fit, intense but also fun.

“Awesome personality,” Hyde said. “I love how hard-nosed he is. “He’s a team guy. I know that he’s really excited to be here. I just really enjoyed my time with him. I spent a lot of time talking to him. He’s a wonderful, wonderful person.

“To have the start that he has for us, it’s going to be big.”

Only if hitting a sixth straight Opening Day home run and reaching base five times yesterday can be construed as big.

O’Neill is a British Columbia native who had lots of family and friends at yesterday’s game. He brought a couple dozen Tim Hortons donuts to the clubhouse, and there were a few left after the 12-2 win.

“I didn’t notice that until after the game when I saw him eating one,” said Zach Eflin. “That’s the kind of guy he is. He takes care of everyone.”

O’Neill won’t cut off the donut supply this weekend.

“I will definitely be bringing a couple donuts,” he said.

I spotted some glaze, chocolate covered and chocolate cream, but there were others in the two boxes.

“I just got four of each, just got some assorted,” he said, “and whatever the guys take, they take.”

If Cedric Mullins’ career as an Oriole is winding down, he really stepped up yesterday.

Mullins is a free agent after the season and the Orioles could move on with No. 3 prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. waiting in the wings. Mullins homered twice yesterday and finished with five RBIs.

“I think the mindset of just continuing to play my game, keep it simple, good things will come from that,” Mullins said. “Staying positive, and good things will happen.”

Mullins has started in center field on five straight Opening Days.

“It’s always exciting,” he said. “I always get the early butterflies and anticipation of getting out there and getting the season going. But like I said, guys today really controlled those emotions and we put some good things together.”

The Orioles carried Jorge Mateo and Bryan Baker on the roster and didn’t lose the three competitors.

Livan Soto worked out with the Orioles but was warned about Mateo. The Orioles reassigned him to Triple-A Norfolk, where he can join Vimael Machín and Luis Vázquez on the all-camp team.

Baker beat out Matt Bowman and Roansy Contreras. Bowman had his contract selected on his opt-out date, cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment. Contreras also cleared and was assigned to the Tides.

For a team that’s so devoted to depth, these outcomes worked out perfectly.

The Orioles might have a new celebration.

The water works could come back. They never seem to dry up. But Ryan Mountcastle doubled yesterday and made a gesture like he was reeling in a fish.

“Yeah, something a little new,” Mullins said. “It’s not fully put together yet. We’re piecing it together. I didn’t even see it, so I was like, ‘I’ve gotta look back and see what it looked like just to gauge for the next time.’”