SARASOTA, Fla. — Generation Z has arrived, and it’s as evident on the field at Ed Smith Stadium as it is anywhere in the country. The Orioles entered spring training this season with serious World Series aspirations, emboldened by one of MLB’s youngest rosters and a decorated farm system that continues to churn out talent.
Baltimore has developed young stars all over the diamond, most of whom were born after the Pew Research Center’s established starting point of January 1997 for Gen Z. According to FanGraphs, the Orioles ranked seventh in the majors last year with 17.5 wins above replacement (WAR) compiled by players who were in their age-26 season or younger, led by catcher Adley Rutschman (5.1) and infielder Gunnar Henderson (4.6).
This infusion of talent hasn’t necessarily replaced the Orioles’ existing core. The team still relies heavily on its Generation Y, or Millennial, contingent of players. But what it has done is create two factions of players in the clubhouse: one that saw their rebuild through and another that was a product of that rebuild.
“We joke around sometimes that our team has multiple cores,” outfielder Austin Hays said. “You have the guys that were here before the takeover and everything, there’s like five of us. And so, we’re all like a very tight-knit group. Then you have all the guys that came up together, but we mesh so good together so it’s not like you have two different cliques. Everybody just molds in perfectly with each other.”
The other four members of that group are outfielders Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander, first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and starting pitcher John Means. None of them are necessarily old players; Mountcastle’s February 1997 birthday technically makes him a Gen Zer. Teammates attest he carries himself like one of the team’s younger players, but he’s one of several Orioles caught between the two generations.
“I feel like they both have a bad rep,” Mountcastle said. “Any older generation is gonna give them a bad rep but yeah, either one. I’d probably say I’m more of a Millennial than Gen Z. I feel like I’m a little older than them. So, that’s what I would go with.”
Baltimore’s younger core has formed quickly. While most of the best players from decades past needed a few years in the minor leagues to develop into MLB-quality athletes, superstars are now reaching the majors earlier into their 20s. Henderson broke through at 21. Right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez was 23 as a rookie. Top prospect Jackson Holliday, who turned 20 in December, is a strong candidate to follow suit.
Yet while their path to the majors was short, many of the Orioles’ young players came up through the minors together. They started fostering strong relationships before they even arrived in Baltimore, a fact not lost on those who have watched as each of them arrived in impressive fashion.
“It’s been great to see how many guys have gotten really close in the minor leagues and become good friends and they’ve all essentially come up together,” Hays said. “Everybody honestly is very close. They’re friends. They spend a lot of time with each other away from the field, too. It’s not just, ‘OK, we work together in the field and we go and lock ourselves in our room.’ You see that come out to play on the field and, even the veteran guys on the team, a lot of people say that, but most everybody’s still pretty young, too.”
As Gen Zers have become more integrated into the Orioles’ clubhouse and taken on larger leadership roles, the atmosphere between younger players and veterans has become more relaxed as well. Reliever Danny Coulombe, 34, who joined the club last season, remarked on how different the Orioles’ clubhouse dynamic is compared with what he experienced during his first few seasons in the majors with other teams.
Adley Rutschman connects for a solo home-run for his first at-bat against the Red Sox in the first game of the Grapefruit League Spring Training season at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Adley Rutschman rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against Boston in the first inning in the first game of the Grapefruit League 2024 Spring Training season at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Mike Baumann pitches against the Red Sox in the second inning of the 2024 season opener of the Grapefruit League play at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Ed Smith Stadium, the home of Orioles Spring Training, is reflected in the mirror lens of a fan attending the first game of the 2024 Grapefruit League season in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Starter Corbin Burnes pitches against the Red Sox in the first inning of the first game in the Grapefruit League Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Corbin Burnes, left, takes the field at Ed Smith Stadium to start the first game of the Grapefruit League 2024 Spring Training season against Boston in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles Spring Training camp attendees gather to watch pitcher Corbin Burnes warm up in the bullpen before starting the first game of the Grapefruit League 2024 Spring Training season against the Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Outfielder Colton Cowser catches a fly ball in the sun during work out in Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Dillon Tate throws live batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Dillon Tate throws live batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Ryan O’Hearn connects while hitting live batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Catcher Adley Rutschman hits a long fly ball during live batting practice at Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Corbin Burnes holds and two and a half pound weight with his left hand while throwing to work out during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Kaleb Ort throws live batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Corbin Burnes, right, throws work out during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Outfielder Daniel Johnson juggles baseballs after batting practice is over during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Corbin Burnes, from left, talks with catchers Adley Rutschman and James McCann after throwing Bullpen at Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Veteran players Jorge Mateo, from left, Austin hays, Anthony Santander are taken to the club house in an electric cart driven by James McCann after they finished Spring Training live batting practice at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Manager Brandon Hyde, left, shares a laugh with pitcher Corbin Burnes during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias, left, watches Jackson Holliday takes batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Outfielders Austin Hays, from left, and Cedric Mullins prepare for live batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher John Means stretches before workout in Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Chayce McDermott throws during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Corbin Burnes throws during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Third baseman Coby Mayo practices running the bases during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Jorge Mateo, center, and other players warm up on the first day of full squad workout during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Center fielder Cedric Mullins makes a running behind the back and over the shoulder catch of a fly ball in batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitchers Cole Irvin, center, John Means, right, and others runs sprints to warm up during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday connects during live batting practice at Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Gunnar Henderson, center, works out during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Former Orioles pitcher Ben McDonald, left, talks with current pitcher Cole Irvin during 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday, left, forces out Red Sox Nathan Hickey in the fifth inning of the 2024 Grapefruit League Spring Training season opener at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias, right, and manager Brandon Hyde watch pitchers throw bullpen sessions during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Kaleb Ort throws bullpen during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias, watches batting practice during team’s 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday smiles during batting practice at Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Top prospect Jackson Holliday smoothes his hair as he waits for live batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Yennier Cano checks out his new WIlson mitts at Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. Each player on contract with the sport equipment company gets two new gloves a year. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Catcher Adley Rutschman, right, watches the flight of the ball he hit during batting practice in Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Outfielder Kyle Stowers throws during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher John Means tosses the ball during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Yennier Cano sports a high top hair cut as he stretches before pitching in Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Albert Suarez warms up before throwing batting practice in Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Yennier Cano throws live batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Cole Irvin throws live batting practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday takes fielding practice during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitchers Matt Krook, left, and Dean Kremer warm up stretching during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles pitchers Corbin Burnes, left, and Dean Kremer take part in Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Center fielder Cedric Mullins connects for a home run during live batting practice at Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Cedric Mullins works out in center field during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Pitcher Corbin Burnes, from left, talks with catchers Adley Rutschman and James McCann after throwing Bullpen at Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Catcher Adley Rutschman backhands to stop a pitch in the dirt during live batting practice in Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Corbin Burnes will be the starting pitcher of the first Orioles 2024 Spring Training game at Ed Smith Stadium as announced by manager Brandon Hyde in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Second baseman Connor Norby practices during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday locks onto a pitch with intensity during batting practice in 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Second baseman Connor Norby practices during Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias, left, follows the flight of Jackson Holliday’s fly ball during batting practice in Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Jorge Mateo makes a running catch of a fly ball in right field during batting practice in Orioles 2024 Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Manager Brandon Hyde talks with reporters before Orioles 2024 Spring Training full squad workout at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fl. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
“In years past, there was a lot more rules,” Coulombe said. “A lot more like, ‘Hey, if you have less than three years’ service time, you can’t sit on couches. You shag [batting practice] on the other side of the field.’ Just a lot more of those things. It’s a lot looser now. There’s not as many rules. There’s still that respect. You can still see the respect that young guys give the older guys but it’s just not as intense.”
With two cores comes a positional logjam, and that’s the challenge Orioles such as infield prospect Connor Norby face with camp underway. It’s a problem many teams would love to have but a problem nonetheless. Not everyone will be able to travel north with the team for its season opener March 28, pitting prospects and veterans against each other as they battle for limited spots.
“There are 29 other teams that would love to be in our spot,” Norby said. “As players, we can get frustrated at times about stuff like that, whatever it may be, but we’re in a position to do things that other teams aren’t and … that’s what competitors want. We’re in a spot that not many teams get to say that they’re in. But two cores? Yeah. Two pretty good ones to build off of for the whole next 5-10, 15-20 years.”
Eventually, the Gen Z takeover will spread across the Orioles’ entire roster. The clubhouse culture transformation is already well underway.
