Sorting through spring stats and their relevance

SARASOTA, Fla. - We've been warned in song to never fall in love with a dreamer. Former Ravens coach Brian Billick told the media to never fall in love with a guy in shorts, the message delivered each year in training camp. And every baseball manager preaches the dangers of falling in love with stats derived from exhibition games.

Love stinks.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is walking that fine line between judging competitors for various roster spots on their spring numbers and resisting the urge to overreact to them.

He didn't single out anyone, but I'll provide some examples.

Chance Sisco walked twice yesterday, struck out and was robbed of an infield hit by a garbage call at first base - at least what I saw live and on one replay. He's 5-for-10 with four home runs and nine RBIs, the second spring in a row when he's raked at the plate.

Shortstop Richie Martin is batting .412 and living up to his stellar defensive reputation. He was the first overall pick in the Rule 5 draft. This is a rebuilding club. He's on the team.

Drew Jackson, the other Rule 5 pick, is playing everywhere - center field and shortstop yesterday - and has gone 6-for-16. He profiles as a classic utility type and also makes sense on a rebuilding club that's trying to raise the level of young talent in the organization.

Austin Hays is healthy again and 5-for-14 with a triple and two home runs. Anthony Santander, practically forgotten last year after running out of Rule 5 status and shipped to Double-A Bowie, is 7-for-14 with four doubles and a home run. Yusniel Diaz made a terrific running catch yesterday near the fence in center field and he's 9-for-21 with two doubles and a home run, his status as the organization's No. 1 prospect hardly an exaggeration.

A quick check of the date tells us that it's March 5 and we just passed the halfway point in spring training. In other words ...

"It's still early," Hyde said.

"A lot of times younger guys ... pitchers don't have the command yet, like our starters. They don't have their command yet or what they would season-wise. So it's easy to fall in love with a guy early because he might be getting heaters in the middle part of the plate that he might not get during the season. But I think our approach has been really good.

"I like the way our guys are taking their at-bats, I like their situation hitting, the process. They're thinking the right way. And I think we're doing a lot of really good work in the cage. I think a lot of these guys have really taken to Don (Long) and it sounds like it's all positive. Guys are making adjustments. I'm encouraged by the way we're swinging the bat."

Jake Fox swung it with authority in 2011 while hitting 10 Grapefruit League home runs and broke camp as the backup catcher. He inspires this type of story.

Hyde isn't close to declaring winners. He's just glad to have so many viable candidates in the infield and outfield and on the pitching staff.

"I like the way we've played," he said. "I think our guys have come ready to play and I don't think that's always the case in spring training games. It's real easy to go through the motions a little bit after getting to the park early in the morning, kind of the same routine. But I think the energy level of our dugout has picked up. I think guys are starting to feel a little bit more comfortable with the style that we're embracing. We're still running into outs a little bit, which is OK. We're playing a little bit better defense. So I like the style that we're playing.

"We're going to have to really catch the ball defensively, we're going to have to be aggressive on the mound and we're going to have to generate offense. And that's going to be by situational hitting, by being able to steal a base when it's available, by being able to run the bases really well. And I think our guys have taken to that. We're playing the game well."

Where exactly does the defense need to improve? Hyde provides a broad answer.

"I just think overall defensively as a ballclub," he said.

"We're getting better every day. We just have a lot of room to grow defensively. Making the routine play. Just the routine play. Being consistent and making the routine play allows you to win in the big leagues. If you don't make the routine play, you're allowing extra outs, you're allowing extra pitches for your pitcher, bullpen usage, all that stuff that not only affects you tonight, but affects you through the series and the next couple of days. So we're just harping on making the routine play, and anything besides that is extra, which is great.

"Just sound, fundamental defensively. Not only individual, but team defense. Understanding communication, understanding why it's important to know where guys are playing around you, understanding to talk on defense. Those are all things we talk about on a daily basis. We're getting a lot better as we go along."