Baltimore Orioles Roundtable: Bold Predictions, Expectations, And More

As the Baltimore Orioles kick off spring training today, the staff at Birds Watcher answers a few questions as part of a first day of spring round table.

Welcome to the first day of spring training, Baltimore Orioles fans! Pitchers and catchers officially report to Sarasota, Florida, today, with first workouts taking place tomorrow.

There are a number of interesting storylines to keep you entertained this spring, but the influx of high-profile prospects, such as Adley Rutschman, who will be in camp has Orioles fans excited for the return of baseball, even if that excitement won’t linger around for very long.

With players reporting to camp today, the staff here at Birds Watcher came together over the weekend and answered a few questions about the upcoming season to unofficially kick off our coverage of the 2020 season.

We would love to hear your responses, as well! Over the next few slides, you can read each staff member’s responses to the following set of questions:

1. What has you excited about the 2020 season?
2. USA Today recently projected the Orioles to win 57 games this season. Are you taking the over or under?
3. What is your one bold prediction for 2020? It’s ok to get a little crazy with this one!
4. Who is this year’s John Means?

Check out what our staff had to say about each question and then let us know your responses.

What has you excited about the Baltimore Orioles 2020 season?

Contributor Ryan Beckwith- A lot of things. Obviously the prospects will be fun to follow, but I can’t wait to see Jose Iglesias at shortstop. He should turn out to be a leading example for others on the field. Also, I’ll be rooting for John Means to prove his rookie success wasn’t a fluke.

Site Expert Nick Stevens- At the major league level, I’m anxious to see how guys like Anthony Santander, Hunter Harvey, and John Means perform. We know Trey Mancini is a contributor on a winning Orioles team, now we need to find out if guys like those previously mentioned can stick around.

Contributor Jesse Morrison-   The 2020 season does not excite me from a big club perspective. However, the improved farm system will be what I follow the most this year. The Orioles farm system has four prospects in the MLB Pipeline Top 100:  Adley Rutschman (No. 4), Grayson Rodriguez (No. 36), DL Hall (No. 69) and Ryan Mountcastle (No. 94). All are super exciting prospects to keep track. Expect me to write about some minor league stuff this season.

Contributor Chuck Boemmel- I am excited to see Austin Hays come out of spring training as the center fielder in Baltimore. I feel that his injuries are well behind him and he will show that he will be a dynamic addition to the Orioles outfield.

Contributor Ben Schneider-  First and foremost, I am excited to watch baseball again, whether that is the Orioles or any other baseball team.  For the Orioles, I am excited to see more of the prospects debut this season and whether they have what it takes to stick around the majors.  With the rebuild in year two, this is the first season where we will see if any of the moves former GM Dan Duquette and current GM Mike Elias have made pay off.  Much like last season, I will be focusing on the minor leagues where most of the top prospects still are and where they hopefully improve.

Contributor Ari Ezra- There is a lot to be excited about the birds in 2020. I am most excited to see the O’s starting pitching this season. You might say why? The Orioles pitching staff had a historically bad 2019. I must say there’s only room for growth this season. With that season of baseball under the team’s belt many players were able to gain experience at the highest level. I look forward to All-Star John Means returning to the bump this season. We can also look forward to the many young pitching stars soon arriving at Camden Yards.