Orioles Youngster's Historic Spring Training Game Might Have Earned Him Roster Spot
The Baltimore Orioles are just over a week away from Opening Day and they are no closer to knowing who will be on the official 26-man roster than when Spring Training got underway.
That is a good problem to have overall.
It means the players in camp are performing to such a degree that there are really no obvious choices.
But that also means there are tough decisions to be made and players who have shown they are ready to perform at the Major League level might have to continue their careers in the minors.
The outfield battle has gotten a lot of attention recently.
Anthony Santander, Austin Hays, and Cedric Mullens will be on the team and playing barring injury. That leaves the fourth outfield role, and potentially another spot, that is being battled over by multiple suitors.
Baltimore might have to give a real look at one of their less-heralded outfielders after he had a historic performance on March 17.
Kyle Stowers became the first player since Mike Zunino in 2018 to hit three home runs in a Spring Training game.
The slugger now leads the Orioles in homers with seven, and RBI with 14. Out of his 11 total hits, seven of them have gone over the fence across his 40 at-bats.
Many people expected the competition to come down to Ryan McKenna, who was with Baltimore last year, No. 3 prospect Colton Cowser, and No. 5 prospect Heston Kjerstad.
Much of that had to do with Stowers' struggles during his opportunity to play in the MLB.
Over 48 games in 2022 and 2023, the 26-year-old has a slash line of .207/.267/.331 with 25 total hits, three homers, 11 RBI, and 41 strikeouts. That includes a stretch last year when he had only two hits in 30 at-bats.
However, this spring he looks like a completely different hitter.
McKenna and Kjerstad, on the other hand, have struggled in comparison with the veteran going 4-29 across 13 games, and the star prospect yet to hit a home run despite being dubbed as having a power bat.
The Orioles continue to say they will put the best team out on the field.
If that truly is the case, then Stowers could find himself making the Opening Day roster when the final cuts come.
