Orioles manager Brandon Hyde spent Thursday night in Salisbury as the keynote speaker at the Delmarva Shorebirds’ banquet, and a night later, he and 10 of his players met fans at the PBR Bar in Baltimore for an evening of karaoke.
As Hyde settles in for his seventh season, he’s managed the fourth most games in franchise history, trailing only Earl Weaver, Buck Showalter and Paul Richards.
Unlike in his early years, Hyde has a talented team with plenty of major league experience, and at the end of camp, it’s likely that several players who’ve played in the major leagues won’t make the team.
“The competition is going to be more in spring training than ever before,” Hyde said. “We’ve created some depth, which is really important going forward.”
Last season, the Orioles lost three starting pitchers to season-ending elbow surgeries, Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells, while most of the other starters spent time on the injured list, too.
“You saw what happened to us last year, injury-wise,” Hyde said. “You see what’s happening around the league, as much depth as you can possibly have. You can never have enough pitching. Injuries are going to happen throughout a six-month season.”
The Orioles may have as many as 10 candidates to start in spring training.
“We definitely have some experience on the mound, adding [Tomoyuki] Sugano and Charlie Morton,” he said. “Bringing some guys that we’re excited about with Grayson [Rodriguez], Dean [Kremer]. Albert Suárez is here. Cade Povich is here. It’s going to be a really good competition in camp. We brought some veteran guys in to help us out.”
The 35-year-old Sugano was signed after 12 seasons in Japanese baseball, and his potential is intriguing.
“I watched some video on him,” Hyde said. “I was a couple of Zooms with him, one before he signed, and one after he signed. It’s a really impressive guy. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s had some amazing years in Japan. I’ve never seen him throw, so I’m looking forward to seeing him throw in spring training.”
The Orioles lost not only their best starter, but the only one who didn’t miss time due to injuries, Corbin Burnes, to free agency. They also lost their top home run hitter, Anthony Santander.
“You want to see other guys to step up that have the ability to hit for some more power,” Hyde said. “We’ve also added [free agent outfielder] Tyler O’Neill, who has had power the last few years. Guys like [Heston] Kjerstad are going to get more of an opportunity to have huge power, so we can supplement it in other ways.”
The younger veterans, Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg, are expected to assume leadership responsibilities.
“There’s guys who’ve done some really good things for the last couple of years and ready to take that next step,” Hyde said.
“They definitely have the makeup for it. They’re all ready to start being leaders not only on the field, but off the field, which they’ve doing for young players. That’s what’s been so impressive about them.”
Rutschman ready for rebound
The second half of 2024 was a forgettable one for Rutschman, who hit just .207 with three home runs and 20 RBIs and a .585 OPS.
“I always have confidence in myself,” Rutschman said. “I trust my ability to bounce back and work hard and get healthy and do all the things necessary. I’ve got great guys around me, great coaches, very excited.”
Rutschman wasn’t specific about changes he’s made.
“A couple of adjustments as far as hitting goes,” he said. “As the season goes along, you have to make those in-season adjustments.”
Rutschman has already begun getting to know Sugano.
“We’ve already done a Zoom meeting with him, kind of getting to know each other, and what we see starting out this year,” Rutschman said. “A lot of it is going to be getting into bullpens in spring training, catching lives. I think we’ve got a good feel, but I think everybody’s excited to have those in-person interactions.”
Mountcastle looking forward to new wall
First baseman Ryan Mountcastle lost 11 home runs, more than anyone on the team, when the Orioles moved the left field wall further away for the 2022 season. Now that the wall has been moved in between nine and 20 feet, he’s excited.
“It’s pretty cool. It’s way back there for them to finally move back in,” Mountcastle said. “Just happy to see what it looks like.
“It’s a good feeling to know that you can pull the ball again and get good results out of it. Hopefully I can, and we’ll see what happens.”
Rutschman, a switch-hitter, lost an estimated seven home runs to the wall.
“I’m not disappointed. It’s nice as a righty, and maybe as a lefty it’s a little bit better,” he said. “I think everyone’s excited.”
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