Orioles spring training this, that and the other

SARASOTA, Fla. - The reprogramming of baseball’s former No. 1 prospect easily fits as one of the most interesting developments in Orioles camp.

There’s no need to go over Jackson Holliday’s numbers again in 2024. They weren’t good. He was a 20 year old tackling the challenges that the majors present. Expectations shot through the roof, and that’s Holliday’s fault for being such an exceptional young talent.

“I think that when you’re 20 years old and you get to the big leagues, the hype that you get, and you put up the minor league numbers that you do, people are expecting you to do the same thing when you get to the big leagues,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “And a lot of times that’s just unrealistic.”

Holliday replaced the leg lift timing mechanism with a toe tap and went 7-for-18 to close out September. The Orioles had specific instructions for him after the season – focus on reaching base and being disruptive. Bunt more, run more, be aggressive. The club would reel him in if necessary.

The former first-overall draft pick is 3-for-5 in stolen base attempts after swiping second base during Sunday afternoon’s game against the Twins. He was instrumental in an inning that Hyde described later as his favorite of the spring, with three runs manufactured in small-ball fashion. Putting the ball in play with runners in scoring position and with shortened swings, and creating flashbacks to 2023.

Holliday squared and held back, then laid down a bunt that rolled foul along the third base line. His intent was crystal clear to everyone. He reached on an error, stole second and came around on an errant throw to the plate with no one covering it.

“The first at-bat, he kind of got away from himself a little bit. We talked about it,” Hyde said. “The second at-bat, the third baseman’s playing back, he looked for it, it was there. Got a strike on him, he tried it again. But just the ability to put the ball in play after that with two strikes, put pressure on the defense, create some havoc. He gets on base, he steals a base.

“I loved the two-strike single (in the fourth) with a runner in scoring position where he’s shortening up, so all those types of things we’ve just got to collectively do more of, and Jackson’s really improving.”

Holliday had two more hits last night, a double and single the opposite way. He’s 8-for-27.

“I think when I’m going good that’s the case, hitting the ball all over the field, hitting fastballs the other way, pulling the off-speed if needed,” he said. “I’m very happy with what I’ve been rolling with lately. Hitting the ball all over the field, creating havoc, that’s just my game. I’ve enjoyed the progress that I’ve made.”

With age, in this case 21, comes wisdom. Holliday appears to be more comfortable at second base and at the plate.

“He understands the kind of player he is,” Hyde said. “We don’t need him to hit for power. His game right now is gonna be a game where there’s excitement, and there’s gonna be balls in play – hard line drives, ground balls. Play really good defense like he can. Be able to manufacture and be able to steal bases when there’s an opportunity. Drag bunt. All those types of things from a team offensive standpoint.

“It’s something that Jackson’s really improved on, but overall, too, I think we’re getting better as a club in those areas.”

* Coby Mayo entered last night’s game as a pinch-runner for Ryan O’Hearn, a role he won’t usually fill. He played first base the last four innings.

Mayo is 3-for-28 after striking out twice. He had a double and sacrifice fly in Sunday’s split-squad game in Clearwater and a broken-bat bloop single Saturday against the Rays.

“Obviously, still trying to work some things out,” he said before last night’s game. “Felt like early on I hit some hard balls, just kind of didn’t fall. You’re not getting those balls to fall, you’re not getting the weak ones to fall. Just seemed like nothing could fall.

“Seeing the one drop the other night was nice, and had some good at-bats in Clearwater. Been working really hard in the cages in BP, watch a lot of video with the coaches, and feeling really good right now. I definitely feel my best right now that I’ve felt all camp. I’m looking forward to the next two weeks and just continuing it.”

The successful soft contact Saturday countered the two line drives to left field Wednesday in Fort Myers that resulted in outs.

“That’s the thing. You line out a few times, you hit some hard balls right at people. You know that the broken bat one’s coming,” Mayo said.

“You make contact with the ball and you’re like, ‘OK, that’s falling for sure,’ just because that’s how the game is. Once you see one fall, they seem to get a few more rolling. Just continuing working really hard in the cages and with the coaches, and looking forward to the next two weeks being good to me.”

* Hyde never saw Luis De León throw until last night, when the Orioles brought over the left-hander from minor league camp. He was curious, of course.

The No. 14 prospect in the organization, only 21 years old, signed out of the Dominican Republic for $30,000, blessed with a big arm that can’t always find the plate. Take a look. He walked 42 batters in 59 2/3 innings at High-A Aberdeen but is averaging 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings in three minor league seasons.

Yeah, Hyde wanted to check him out.

De León walked two batters in two innings and allowed one run and one hit. He also notched a strikeout of Matt Gorski, who’s hit three homers against the Orioles this spring. The fastball was 95-97 mph.

Levi Wells handled the two previous innings, identified by Statcast as “Tyler” until the correction was made. He didn’t allow a run, walked three and struck out three. But what got the attention was a fastball that registered 100.1 mph to Jack Suwinski, 99.9 to Bryan Reynolds and 99.2 to Henry Davis

The Orioles drafted Wells, 23, in the fourth round of the 2023 draft out of Texas State University. He made 21 starts at High-A Aberdeen last season and went 0-9 with 6.71 ERA, 1.641 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings.

The velo and strikeouts intrigue.