SARASOTA, Fla. — The caveat that spring training stats, for the most part, don’t matter is a crucial one when discussing Corbin Burnes.
The ace has been one of the sport’s best starting pitchers over the past four seasons — so good that it took two well-regarded prospects for the Orioles to acquire just one guaranteed year of Burnes’ services.
But he has struggled this spring, and it appeared early in Saturday’s outing against the Boston Red Sox that his fourth start would be another rough one. His second inning was his worst this spring, as Burnes allowed four hits (including two solo home runs), committed two throwing errors and surrendered four runs.
But after the poor frame, Burnes said something “clicked” in the third inning and beyond. The 29-year-old looked like himself, mixing his elite cutter and plus offspeed stuff to flummox the Red Sox. He faced the minimum over the final three frames — by far the best he’s looked as an Oriole.
“We found something in the third today,” Burnes said. “That was kind of the big win for the day. Mechanically some things clicked. Sequencing, me and Adley were able to get on the same page and kind of roll from there, as well as our pitching guys in the dugout. Today was a really big day.”
After a three-up, three-down first, Burnes gave up homers to Bobby Dalbec and Wilyer Abreu — two well-hit balls that were aided by the wind blowing out at Ed Smith Stadium. He then committed two throwing errors while working on pickoff attempts — one to first base and one to second — that were sandwiched by an RBI single by Tyler Heineman. The final run came across on a sacrifice fly that center fielder Cedric Mullins caught on the warning track.
But Burnes didn’t allow any hard contact after the second inning, including two strikeouts in the fourth. He said he felt better mechanically over the final three frames and that he and catcher Adley Rutschman got into a groove with pitch calling. It helped, he said, that he pounded the zone, throwing first-pitch strikes to all but three batters and more than 80% of his offerings for strikes.
“We talk about that relationship from the beginning, and today got to the point where we were really comfortable with each other,” Burnes said of working with Rutschman. “We knew what we wanted to do out there. It got to the point that before Adley was calling a pitch I had it in my head. It was good for that to click today.
“Fortunately we got it done before opening day started. I think we’re in a good spot.”
Burnes has a 9.28 ERA in 10 2/3 innings this spring, allowing 14 hits and five home runs. But those numbers matter much less than the ones he put up as the Milwaukee Brewers’ ace the past few years. He’s finished top eight in National League Cy Young Award voting in each of the past four seasons, including winning the award in 2021.
Burnes will likely make one more start this spring. He hopes to work into the sixth and throw about 80 pitches in his final preseason start before pitching his first game at Camden Yards on opening day March 28 against the Los Angeles Angels.
“We’re right where we need to be right now,” he said.
It’s closing time
Craig Kimbrel might have the hardest task of any Orioles player this spring.
During the season, he will exclusively pitch in high-leverage moments — as he has for most of his career as one of the most accomplished closers in MLB history. Spring training, though, is where leverage goes to die.
“It is hard to go out there when the game’s not on the line,” Kimbrel.
Kimbrel has to find a way around that hurdle every spring, and Saturday was a good test. After a four-pitch walk to open the sixth inning, Kimbrel had a man on third with one out, hoping to escape the jam without allowing the runner to score. He struck out the next two batters and gave a light fist pump — it is spring training, after all — as he walked off the mound.
“Today I was a little bit disappointed in a four-pitch walk to start the inning, but being able to get out of it with two strikeouts kind of lets me know that I’m back-spinning the ball pretty good,” Kimbrel said. “I threw some good breaking pitches today. Overall, I felt good.”
The nine-time All-Star didn’t start the spring well — allowing seven hits, five runs and two homers over his first two outings — but he’s since stacked three straight scoreless outings. He said his goal to be ready to pitch the ninth on opening day is to increase the intensity in his mind each outing, hoping that by the end his velocity and focus will be where they need to be.
“Each and every outing I try to take one step forward — me having more control, my ball spinning the way I want it to, or my velocity going up,” Kimbrel said.
Kimbrel said the only thing he needs before being ready for the regular season is to pitch on back-to-back days, which he said he’ll do next week.
“Then we’ll be ready for opening day — ready for the adrenaline, ready for the lights and ready to have some fun,” he said.
Extra Mayo, please
Coby Mayo’s chances of making the opening day roster might not be great, but he’s doing everything he can to improve them.
Mayo, the club’s third-best prospect, according to Baseball America, has been one of the Orioles’ best hitters this spring, and he continued that Saturday by going 4-for-4 with a double. Three of Mayo’s base knocks were hit softly, including one down the right field line for a double, but they count just the same. He’s hitting .378 with a 1.099 OPS in 44 plate appearances this spring.
The 22-year-old crushed minor league pitching last season, reaching Triple-A, and manager Brandon Hyde has been impressed with Mayo’s growth since last spring.
“Just a huge improvement in one year,” Hyde said. “His swing is a little bit shorter, his defense is a lot better. I think he’s just getting more comfortable around the major league club. He’s had a really good camp up to this point. I know he didn’t hit the ball really hard today, but he is strong enough to let the ball travel and get the ball to the outfield. He’s been really impressive so far this camp.”
Mayo wasn’t the only infielder to hit well Saturday. Jorge Mateo, whose spot on the roster is up in the air, went 1-for-3 with an RBI single to up his spring OPS to .915. Ramón Urías went 1-for-2 with an RBI single and an RBI walk. Urías has a 1.024 OPS this spring with nine RBIs and five walks against just one strikeout.
Leave it to Beavers
After Burnes allowed four hits in the second inning, he and five Orioles relievers — Kimbrel, Jacob Webb, Kaleb Ort and Matt Krook — didn’t allow a hit in the final seven frames while recording nine strikeouts. Krook struck out the side in the ninth to continue his solid spring. Those performances gave the Orioles the opportunity to come back from down a run in the ninth, and that they did.
Outfielders Dylan Beavers and Jud Fabian — ranked by Baseball America as the Nos. 11 and 13 prospects in the Orioles’ system, respectively — came up from minor league camp to lead Baltimore to another come-from-behind win, improving its Grapefruit League-best record to 17-5-1.
Fabian tied the game with an RBI single, and Beavers beat out an infield single with two outs to score Mayo, win the game and send the 8,146 fans (another sellout) home happy.
Around the horn
• Hyde said left fielder Austin Hays is “under the weather” and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is dealing with a stiff neck. Hays last played Thursday; Mountcastle hasn’t appeared since Tuesday.
• Catcher Samuel Basallo, the sport’s No. 10 prospect, according to Baseball America, was reassigned to minor league camp Saturday. The 19-year-old spent most of his first big league spring training rehabbing a stress fracture with his elbow, only taking a few at-bats in Grapefruit League games. He will likely begin the season in Double-A Bowie. Krook and Ort, who were both acquired in cash trades this spring, were also optioned to minor league camp. Baltimore has 47 players at major league spring training.
• The Orioles welcomed back Peyton Burdick to the organization, announcing Saturday they’ve claimed the outfielder off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. The club acquired him for cash in February before designating him for assignment a few days later. He was optioned to minor league camp. Baltimore’s 40-man roster is now filled.
• The club also announced that three minor leaguers recently underwent surgery. Pitching prospect Jean Pinto, whom the Orioles acquired from the Angels in the José Iglesias trade in 2020, had Tommy John elbow reconstruction. He reached Double-A in his age-22 campaign last year after posting a sparkling 2.75 ERA in High-A. Infielder Maikol Hernández (left hand hamate excision) and Adam Crampton (Tommy John elbow reconstruction) also went under the knife.
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