TAMPA, Fla. — After his start to camp was delayed by a fractured elbow, Orioles top catching prospect Samuel Basallo appeared in his first career spring training game in Monday’s 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees as a late-inning replacement at designated hitter.
“I’m really thankful, first and foremost, and honestly it was a really nice experience being able to go out there today,” Basallo said after the game through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “Obviously, the real goal is being able to put [an Orioles jersey] on once I get to the big leagues, but it was really nice being able to go out there today.”
Basallo, who went 0-for-2 with a groundout in the eighth and a flyout to end the game, was one of the fastest-rising prospects in baseball last season. The 19-year-old began the year in Low-A Delmarva and earned two in-season promotions, posting a .313/.402/.551 slash line with 20 home runs and 12 stolen bases in 114 games across three levels. His .953 OPS was second among all under-20 players to reach Double-A in 2023 behind only Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero, one of baseball’s top-five prospects.
The Orioles have had high expectations for the young catcher since they signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2021 for $1.3 million, which was, at the time, the largest bonus Baltimore had ever given to an international prospect. Absent from any notable top 100 prospect lists heading into last season, Basallo is now a consensus top 20 player. Baseball America ranks him 10th overall.
“I think he’s tired of hitting on the back fields,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “So, I know he was excited about at least getting an at-bat or two today and, as the baseball gods have it, he’s in that spot there at the end but it was fun to see him out there today.”
His offseason work was limited because of the elbow fracture, which thus far has prevented him from taking part in any defensive drills other than some light throwing. However, Basallo is expected to be ready to hit by the start of the minor league season, giving him the chance to pick up where he left off last season and continue climbing up the Orioles’ farm system.
Bullpen competition
Hyde has reiterated all spring that multiple spots in the Orioles’ bullpen are “wide-open” for pitchers who make strong cases for a roster spot in camp. But Hyde and executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias would have a hard time separating any of the candidates if results on the field were the sole determining factor of who makes the team. Spoiler alert: they’re not.
Six of the Orioles’ relievers who are on the major league roster have made at least four appearances without allowing a run this spring: Keegan Akin, Bryan Baker, Mike Baumann, Wandisson Charles, Andrew Suárez and Dillon Tate. Baumann, who recorded five outs with two strikeouts Monday, retired the first 13 batters he faced before finally allowing a walk to Yankees second baseman and former Baltimore prospect Jahmai Jones with two outs in the fourth.
“There’s a ton of good arms and I’m just trying to have no regrets at the end of the day, whatever happens,” Baumann said after his outing Monday. “That’s me just doing the best I can to put in 100% each day so, yeah, there’s a ton of good arms and a lot of well-deserving arms, so we’ll see what happens at the end of camp.”
Hyde used Baumann consistently out of the bullpen for much of 2023; his 60 appearances ranked fourth on the team. But he’s had to restate his case as a key pitcher for the Orioles this spring after being left off their postseason roster in October. The same has been true for Tate, who missed last season with multiple arm injuries.
With Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin expected to fill out the Orioles’ rotation to start the season, Baltimore still needs a long reliever. Monday’s starter Julio Teheran is a candidate for that spot, but he struggled in his start against the Yankees, particularly against left-handed hitters.
Teheran, a two-time All-Star, finished with reverse splits last season, posting a better OPS against lefties than he did right-handed hitters. He expressed confidence in getting hitters from both sides out as he enters his age-33 season.
“Obviously with righties my two-seamer is different but I’m getting comfortable, especially with my new pitches,” Teheran said of working on his pitch mix against lefties. “I have the cutter and the sweeper. I feel comfortable [facing] both sides of the hitters.”
Around the horn
• Jackson Holliday continued his torrid stretch with two more hits Monday. He also helped orchestrate the Orioles’ first double steal of the spring, taking third with second baseman Kolten Wong stealing second. Holliday finished the day sporting a .957 OPS that ranks third among Orioles with at least 20 at-bats this spring.
• The bulk of the Orioles’ innings Monday belonged to Bruce Zimmermann, who like Teheran is building up as a starter this spring. Zimmermann allowed one run on six hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts over three innings. Teheran, Zimmermann and Albert Suárez are the leading candidates to be the Orioles’ first choice to fill a rotation spot should another injury arise over the final few weeks of spring.
• Baltimore’s loss Monday was just the team’s third this spring, dropping its Grapefruit League record to 14-3-1. The Yankees jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first that could have been limited one run had Wong not misplayed a double play opportunity. The Orioles still have the best record in the league.
Rays at Orioles
Tuesday, 1:05 p.m.