Opening day is just hours away. Here are the 26 players who will take the field for the Orioles.
Infielders
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1B: Ryan Mountcastle
2023 season: A bout with vertigo sidelined him for a month, but he played 115 games. He hit .270 with 18 home runs.
2024 outlook: He’ll still be the primary first baseman, but he’ll likely DH more with the emergence of Ryan O’Hearn.
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1B: Ryan O’Hearn
2023 season: O’Hearn got a fresh start with the Orioles and ran with it. He was their breakout star, solidifying himself as a part of the team when Mountcastle went on the injured list. He hit .289 with an .801 OPS.
2024 outlook: He was rarely used against left-handed pitching, and when he was his numbers weren’t great. He’s expected to be used every day this season, either at DH or first base in place of Mountcastle, but could see his time decrease if that trend continues.
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SS: Gunnar Henderson
2023 season: Henderson started slow but finished strong, winning American League Rookie of the Year. He hit 28 home runs, tied with Anthony Santander for most on the team, while slashing .255/.325/.489 and splitting time between third base and shortstop.
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2024 outlook: Henderson will primarily play shortstop, the position he grew up with and the one that is most natural to him. His goal is to get over slumps faster, and if he succeeds he could just find himself in the MVP conversation.
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2B/SS/3B: Jordan Westburg
2023 season: Westburg debuted in June and stuck in the majors for the rest of the season. He wasn’t flashy, but he was reliable.
2024 outlook: His best character trait is his consistency. Westburg provides major league-caliber defense at second base and third, and he is also capable of playing shortstop.
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2B/SS/3B/OF: Jorge Mateo
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2023 season: Mateo had a dream April, hitting .347 with five home runs. He hit only two more the rest of the year — one of which was an inside-the-park homer — and ended the year hitting .217.
2024 outlook: Mateo made the team because of his versatility — he’ll be in a super-utility role — and his elite speed. If he can replicate his statistics from last April, he could find himself in the lineup every day. Otherwise, he’ll likely find himself mainly as a bench player who is called upon when someone needs a day off, or he’ll come in during late innings.
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2B/SS/3B: Ramón Urías
2023 season: Urías didn’t quite replicate his Gold Glove defense from 2022 but still was reliable at three positions and was suitable at the plate, hitting .264 with 42 RBIs.
2024 outlook: Urías, out of options, wasn’t a lock to make this team but got on it due to his defense. He will need to perform well to avoid being replaced by one of the many rising prospects.
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2B/LF: Tony Kemp
2023 season: Kemp spent last year in Oakland, where he hit .209 and stole 15 bases.
2024 outlook: The left-handed hitter spent the spring with the Reds but was released. The Orioles signed him Tuesday to a major league deal, and he’ll provide a veteran presence as a bench player.
Outfielders
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Austin Hays
2023 season: Hays was stellar in the first half, not only making his first All-Star team but getting the start in the big game. His second-half stats weren’t as flashy — a .228 batting average with a .289 on base percentage.
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2024 outlook: The key for Hays will be getting back to the form he showed in the first half. He had an interrupted spring, missing time with illness then getting hit by a pitch, but he’s a veteran and should be ready to go.
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Cedric Mullins
2023 season: Mullins had two stints on the injured list with right groin strains. He went cold at the end of the season, going 2-for-45.
2024 outlook: The key will be staying healthy. If that happens, he could return to the form he showed in 2021, when he was an All-Star and received votes for AL MVP.
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Anthony Santander
2023 season: The slugger had 28 home runs, tied with Henderson for most on the team, while playing in a career-high 153 years.
2024 outlook: It’s a contract year for Santander, which should give him a boost as he tries to secure a deal next offseason, whether that be in Baltimore or elsewhere.
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Colton Cowser
2023 season: Cowser’s first stint in the majors didn’t go great — he debuted in June and hit .115 in 26 games before being sent back to Triple-A.
2024 outlook: Cowser had a great spring to earn his spot, batting .304 with a 1.136 OPS. He should see playing time at all three spots.
Catchers
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Adley Rutschman
2023 season: His first full season in the majors saw him make an All-Star team, win a Silver Slugger and receive MVP votes.
2024 outlook: Rutschman’s outlook is simple: to build on a strong 2023 as he continues to solidify himself as one of the best catchers in the league.
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James McCann
2023 season: McCann played in just 69 games due to injuries but proved to be a trusted and valuable backup catcher.
2024 outlook: He’ll continue to back up Rutschman, but, barring another injury, should see a bit more playing time.
Starting pitchers
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Corbin Burnes
2023 season: Burnes made his third straight All-Star team while posting a 3.39 ERA and pitching 193 2/3 innings for the Brewers.
2024 outlook: The new Orioles ace will hit the bump on opening day as he looks to return to the form he showed three years ago, when he won a Cy Young Award and finished 15th in MVP voting. He has a new curveball and has worked hard on his relationships with Rutschman and McCann.
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Grayson Rodriguez
2023 season: His rookie season had a lot of bumps, Rodriguez getting sent back to the minors after 10 starts. He returned in July and pitched to a 2.58 ERA in his 13 starts after his recall.
2024 outlook: If Rodriguez can maintain the form he showed in the second half of the season, he could be poised for a big sophom*ore campaign. He’s added a two-seam fastball as a weapon against right-handed batters.
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Tyler Wells
2023 season: Wells was one of the top starters in the first half of the season, but arm fatigue kicked in and he was optioned to Double-A after the All-Star break. He returned in September and became a key part of the bullpen.
2024 outlook: The key for Wells will be maintaining his body for a full season so he can stay in the rotation. He changed his offseason routine, zeroing in on his training and nutrition, to help him do so.
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Dean Kremer
2023 season: Kremer was solid last season and got the start in Game 3 of the playoffs, but he only lasted 1 2/3 innings after giving up six earned runs.
2024 outlook: Kremer wants to follow in Jordan Lyles’ and Kyle Gibson’s footsteps as the next Orioles workhorse. His goal is to reach 200 innings.
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Cole Irvin
2023 season: Irvin was all over the place. He was in the rotation, in the bullpen as a long and short man and in the minors. He ended the year with a 4.42 ERA.
2024 outlook: Irvin is probably only in the rotation until John Means or Kyle Bradish returns from the injured list. He enters the season with an increase in velocity, more movement in his sinker and a new sweeper.
Relievers
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Craig Kimbrel
2023 season: Kimbrel’s regular season with Philadelphia went well — he pitched to a 3.26 ERA with 23 saves — but his performance in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, when he gave up three runs in less than an inning as the Diamondbacks went on to win, is what fans remember.
2024 outlook: Kimbrel, signed to a one-year deal with an option for 2025, will be the closer to start the season. With Félix Bautista sidelined for the year after Tommy John surgery, this role is Kimbrel’s unless he gives the Orioles a reason to take it away.
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Yennier Cano
2023 season: Cano didn’t make the team out of camp, but by the end of the first half he was one of the best relievers in the league. He made the All-Star Game in his rookie season but faced fatigue as the season wound down.
2024 outlook: The Orioles paced Cano this spring, pitching him in fewer spring training games. He will be primarily the setup man, pitching the seventh or eighth ahead of Kimbrel.
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Danny Coulombe
2023 season: A surprise addition at the end of spring training, Coulombe became a key part of the bullpen, on and off the field. The southpaw ended with a 2.81 ERA, the best of his career.
2024 outlook: Coulombe pitched all over the place last year, but expect him to be used more in the seventh or eighth inning.
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Cionel Pérez
2023 season: The year had its bumps, but 2023 was overall just a so-so season for Pérez. He pitched to a 3.54 ERA, but his strikeout numbers were down.
2024 outlook: The key will be consistency. If he can show that, he’ll be a big part of the bullpen again.
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Mike Baumann
2023 season: Last year was his first pitching only out of the bullpen, and it came with mixed results. He was stellar at times, but in May he allowed 12 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings. He was shuttled back and forth to Norfolk often and did not make the playoff roster.
2024 outlook: Baumann earned his spot after a stellar spring, allowing no runs and just one hit in 5 2/3 innings. He feels more settled in his role, which should help him find a better routine. He does not have any options.
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Nick Vespi
2023 season: The 28-year-old lefty spent most of the season in Norfolk, where he had a 2.33 ERA in 38 2/3 innings. He was in Baltimore for nine games in June, July and August, throwing 14 2/3 innings. He pitched to a 4.30 ERA and held lefty batters to a .167 battering average.
2024 outlook: Vespi was added to the roster hours before first pitch on opening day, taking the spot of Jacob Webb, who was placed on the paternity list. While it’s unclear how long he’ll be with the big league club, Vespi showed flashes in spring with a 0.96 WHIP in 8 1/3 innings and 12 strikeouts.
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Dillon Tate
2023 season: Tate missed the season with right elbow/forearm injuries.
2024 outlook: Fully healthy, Tate will be looking to return to the form he showed when he was an important late-inning reliever for the Orioles.
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Keegan Akin
2023 season: Akin was also plagued by injuries, and his season was cut short by a bad back.
2024 outlook: Akin, one of the only relievers with options, will likely be shuttled back and forth to Norfolk when the Orioles need a fresh arm.
Danielle Allentuck
danielle.allentuck@thebaltimorebanner.com
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Danielle Allentuck covers the Orioles for The Baltimore Banner. She previously reported on the Rockies for the Denver Gazette and general sports assignments for The New York Times as part of its fellowship program. A Maryland native, Danielle grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Ithaca College.
