Orioles eager to play games that count

The Orioles won 23 exhibition games, the most in club history. Their .793 winning percentage also ranked first. And it meant roughly the same as crap.

The real stuff begins Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather.

Winning is always better than losing unless your goal is to tank. However, spring training games don’t feature the best players for nine innings. Bullpen moves aren’t usually strategic except to provide innings and work. And the results include split-squads with some of the opponents in Sarasota bringing unrecognizable names on the travel roster.

At least the Orioles’ minor leaguers were high quality. Some of the road lineups were as good or better than the home version.

Daniel Johnson and “Everyday” Errol Robinson were camp superstars because of their clutch hitting after the seventh inning. They aren’t coming off the bench on Opening Day. They aren’t jogging down that orange carpet.

But yeah, 23 victories are better than 23 defeats. We can agree on that point.

“Everybody had a great spring,” said Grayson Rodriguez. “Obviously, the guys knocked the ball around pretty good. Everybody’s excited to get back after it. Ready to see what this season holds for us.”

Manager Brandon Hyde kept downplaying the record while lifting his feet to avoid the puddles of drool from media.

“It’s going to be 0-0 after today,” he said recently. “I’ve seen really good teams be way under .500 in spring training, so I’m not putting any stock into it.”

Here’s the important part.

“I’ve liked the way we’ve played,” he continued. “So hopefully, we continue the high level of play we’ve played defensive, and I think our at-bats have gotten better over the course of spring.”

The Orioles went 17-12 in 2018. I’ll spare you the gory details of what happened next.

The Red Sox were 18-12 this spring, 13 wins coming at fake Fenway, and everyone is picking them to be curled up on the basement floor in the American League East. The Rangers were 11-16 after going 13-15 in 2023 – the year that they won the World Series.

Players just want to get this party started.

“Obviously, I’d like to think we’re going to be better than last year. I think we have a chance to do that,” said Grayson Rodriguez.

“This clubhouse is ready. Now we know what we can accomplish. So yeah, we’re pretty eager to get after it.”

How good can the Orioles be this season?

“Really, really good,” Jorge Mateo said via interpreter Brandon Quinones.

“I think we have a lot of talented prospects, we have a really good squad here and a lot of talent, and I think all the things together make a really good team.”

Better than last season and the 101 wins?

“I 100 percent think so,” said Cedric Mullins. “Where that number lies, I don’t know, but I think we’ll beat 101.

“It’s been said for a while that we have a target on our back. I don’t think much of our mindset has changed. We always go in with the idea of winning. Having that winning mindset every single day kind of keeps you in the same state of mind regardless of what everyone else is saying.”

“It’s definitely big shoes to fill this year,” said reliever Jacob Webb. “I feel like we’re coming in ready to go. This team’s awesome, man. All these guys in this clubhouse, they’ve got a good mentality, they’ve got good motivation to keep going and be even better than we were last year.”

Multiple outlets are picking the Orioles as a wild card rather than division winner and anticipate some regression. But the team didn’t sneak up on anybody in 2023 and shouldn’t be doing it this summer.

“I don’t feel too underestimated, I don’t think we’re getting underestimated at all,” said outfielder Austin Hays. “Everybody knows exactly what to expect when the Orioles come into town. They know that we’re a really good team. I don’t think we’re overlooked or underestimated.”

Gunnar Henderson said yesterday that his body is “ready to go” and he’s in a good spot.

“Just ready to get the season started,” he said.

Henderson’s excitement level rose after finding out that good friend Colton Cowser made the team. Their lockers are in the same row.

“It was awesome,” Henderson said. “We actually made our LEGGO trip today, so we’ve got it situated. We’re ready to go for the competition this year.

“I don’t know if we’ll reveal it just yet, but it’s going to be a good one.”

Greatness could await the Orioles following their division title, the first since 2014.

“Super excited,” said reliever Mike Baumann. “Seeing all the talent in spring training, it’s just like, talent everywhere. Up and down, it’s just insane to be a part of. Just live BP, facing our own guys, it’s only gonna make us pitchers better. Everyone’s just pushing each other and make everyone else better.”

Cowser was informed after Sunday’s game against the Twins in Fort Myers that he made the club. What was assumed had finally become official.

“Really excited to be back in this locker room,” he said. “Ready to get to work.”

Cowser envisions the moment when he’s introduced to a sellout crowd and jogs down the orange carpet from the bullpen to the first base line.

“Just talking with everyone, I know it’s a real exciting time,” he said. “Told me not to trip.”

Backup catcher James McCann missed about a week with back stiffness but returned Saturday, followed by a start Sunday. It was a minor glitch compared to the oblique injury that forced him on the injured list last spring.

“A lot of times you take that for granted when you don’t deal with injuries, so the ability to stay healthy and get to this point, that’s the name of the game,” he said. “It’s hard to produce on the field when you’re banged up, and just the nature of this game, it’s a daily grind, so there’s things that pop up left and right. My hope and my prayers are that I can stay healthy for the whole season.”

The oblique strain last year was the second for McCann in two years. He missed a month with the Mets in 2022 after a tag play at the plate that cause half his torso to turn and the other to stay immobile – “kind of a freak thing,” he said.

“I think that the one last spring was just kind of a follow up, like that area was healed but from what I’ve been told, once you’ve done your oblique once, it’s more likely to be done again. This offseason I did a lot of mobility stuff, a lot less heavy lifting and more functional movement type of things.”