Good morning Birdland,
The final day of spring training has arrived! Huzzah! Kind of.
At 1 p.m. today, the Orioles will host the Phillies for their last game down in Florida. It will be broadcast on MASN and the Orioles Radio Network. Then, they will head north for a home-and-home of exhibitions with the nearby Nationals over the two days that follow. So, technically, they have a couple more “pre-season” games left on the docket before they actually open the season against the Twins on Thursday. But
still, it feels like a significant landmark as we suffer through the final days without regular season baseball.
Friday featured the third annual Spring Breakout prospect showcase. The Orioles youngsters faced off with the Red Sox squad in a game in which the O’s prevailed 3-1. MLB.com’s Jake Rill recapped the action, but here are some of the highlights:
- Trey Gibson started and tossed three shutout innings.
- Joseph Dzierwa got the win and struck out eight over his three clean frames
- Reed Trimble had two hits and stole two bases
- Nate George and Ike Irish each doubled once.
How much can be gleaned from a single game full of well-regarded young players? Almost nothing at all. But it’s fun! And the final days of spring can be pretty dull, so it continues to be a welcome addition to the mix.
The big league Birds were also in action on Friday. They traveled to Tampa for a face-off with the Yankees, where they lost 3-1.
It was a pretty grim showing for the O’s offense, which collected just three hits, three walks, and struck out 11 times. Pete Alonso doubled, Douglas Hodo tripled, and Samuel Basallo had the lone RBI.
Things were better for the pitching staff! Zach Eflin tossed 5.1 shutout innings and struck out seven while throwing 70 pitches. It seems like he might be ready for Opening Day after all? Dietrich Enns got the final two outs of the sixth inning, and Rico Garcia worked yet another shutout frame. The only pitcher to get knocked around was Cohen Achen, a 24-year-old that has appeared in just two games above Double-A.
Outside of the game action, there are likely to be a flurry of roster moves around the league this weekend. Teams will start to make final cuts. Usually a few minor surprises crop up, which could make some bench or bullpen pieces available. The Orioles, like many teams, aren’t entirely settled in those departments. So, it is possible that a new name or two could make their way onto the Opening Day roster. But nothing has been reported on that front just yet.
Links
Buck Britton happy to be back on Orioles’ coaching staff after wild first season in majors | Roch Kubatko
Britton as well as many of the pitching coaches are back despite the rocky 2025 for the big league club. Some level of continuity on the coaching staff seems like a wise choice for Craig Albernaz and the broader organization. Although Albernaz has gotten nothing but rave reviews since joining the club, connecting with every single player in a clubhouse is difficult. Having a few familiar faces around should help to bridge any gaps that exist.
Jon Meoli: The Orioles kept their ‘elite’ pitching coaches for a reason. They think there’s a lot to build on. | The Baltimore Banner
Speaking of those pitching coaches…it sounds like everyone is happy that they are back. Trevor Rogers is even quoted in here saying that he was excited for Albernaz provided that he “just doesn’t touch the pitching department.” That’s high praise for a pitcher coming off of one of the best 100-inning stretches in recent memory.
Pair of O’s athletic trainers form all-woman staff for Spring Breakout | Orioles.com
For the Spring Breakout games, the up-and-comers aren’t just the ones in uniform. Even the staff represent the future of the Orioles, or at least the broader baseball world. Pretty neat!
Orioles’ Dylan Beavers: Scratched from lineup | CBS Sports
Beavers was supposed to play against the Yankees on Friday. Instead, he sat out with right knee discomfort. There has been no reporting on the severity of the problem. It could be nothing. We should know more today.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Chadwick Tromp turns 31 today. He was one of the many catchers to don an Orioles uniform in 2025. Ultimately he only played in six games for the Birds.
- Jimmy Yacabonis is 34 years old. The righty spent parts of three seasons from 2017-2019 on the Orioles pitching staff, accumulating a 5.75 ERA over 101.2 total innings.
- The late Tommy Davis (b. 1939, d. 2022) was born on this day. He played 18 seasons of big league baseball, including a four-year stint in Baltimore from 1972 through ‘75.
This day in O’s history
2018 – Just before Opening Day, the Orioles add former Rays hurler Alex Cobb on a four-year, $57 million deal.
