Some early ideas about spring training storylines

It’s never too early to start thinking about spring training storylines.

That’s a lie. It’s much too early. But there’s no harm in talking about a few topics in October.

Can the roster hold Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo?

There might not be two bigger curiosities in camp than this duo. Kjerstad was the second-overall pick in the 2020 draft, and you know the rest, including the myocarditis diagnosis that pushed back everything in his career and changed his life. Mayo has risen to No. 1 prospect in the system and No. 8 in baseball per MLB Pipeline, with power that makes jaws drop.

Kjerstad has it, too, but neither one has a position waiting for him. Kjerstad was supposed to be the everyday right fielder, but he was optioned again this season and sidelined by a concussion, and Anthony Santander hit 44 home runs. Mayo went 4-for-41 with 22 strikeouts and was optioned twice, and a team trying for a deep playoff run went with more trustworthy defenders at third base.

They have nothing left to prove at Triple-A, where Kjerstad slashed .301/.397/.601 with 14 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs and 58 RBIs in 56 games. He batted .314/.417/.529 with two doubles, three home runs and 12 RBIs in 21 games with the Orioles in the first half.

The Mayo excuse could center on giving him more repetitions at first base if that’s the plan. Or at third base. Anything geared toward the glove. But I’ll say again that a power hitter like Mayo isn’t going to heat up with sporadic at-bats.

Santander is about to enter free agency and right field could open up for Kjerstad, but there’s also the possibility of the trade or free agent markets providing the replacement. Keeping the designated hitter spot flexible provides another path for both players.

Mayo is a harder fit because Jordan Westburg figures to get most of the starts at first base, and Ryan Mountcastle remains under team control with MLBTradeRumors.com projecting his salary at $6.6 million. He’s a Gold Glove finalist again. That’s a strong selling point.

Where does this leave Mayo?

This is a question that’s going to be asked a lot – now and in Sarasota.

How Adley Rutschman is hitting.

Rutschman wasn’t the only Oriole who slumped but you could argue that he was the most impactful. He slashed .207 with a .585 OPS in the second half, compared to .276 with a .780 OPS in the first. Sixteen of his 19 home runs were hit before the break.

The team’s situational hitting as a whole took a major nosedive, but Rutschman again seemed to attract the most scrutiny. Along with that come the theories.

Rutschman insisted that he was healthy. Asked about it during his season-ending press conference, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said, “There is not an injury that I would speak to of any nature.” But Rutschman took a foul ball off his hand on June 27 and was scratched from the lineup on Aug. 16 with lower-back discomfort. There’s also the normal wear and tear endured by a catcher.

Could mean nothing or everything or something in between. My guess is we’ll never know because Rutschman isn’t going to use health as an excuse. He doesn’t share much anyway.

For whatever reason, Rutschman and some teammates got away from the preached hitting approach. Maybe it’s just pressing. His run-scoring line drive single into left field during a brief late hot spell had the team and media treating it like a Game 7 walk-off. Rutschman looked like himself again, hitting to all fields. Exactly what the Orioles needed as the playoffs approached.

Oh yeah, and he isn’t going to abandon switch-hitting. I know that he batted .219 with a .631 OPS from the left side of the plate. I also know that he batted .280 with an .889 OPS from the left side as a rookie, compared to .174 with a .552 OPS from the right. He hit a respectable, at the least, .267/.359/.419 from the left side the following year.

Let’s collect a larger body of work before suggesting such a drastic move.

Anything and everything Félix Bautista.

Let’s start with Bautista doing his last media interview in spring training, after two beat writers got him in January at the opening of the new state-of-the-art training academy in the Dominican Republic.

We watched Bautista play catch and throw in bullpens. We heard that he’s facing hitters this month. He’s supposed to be full-go at the start of camp.

The Mountain will speak at his locker during one of the first days and he’ll draw a big crowd. Every bullpen session, live batting practice and especially Grapefruit League appearance will be treated as news.

Bautista was a beast in 2023 before blowing out his elbow. He was sorely missed in 2024. The bullpen should be much better in 2025, both due to his ability to close out games and how he makes the unit deeper. But it starts in Sarasota.