3 Orioles spring training overreactions after first week of action

The Baltimore Orioles head into the 2024 season with a new weight of expectations after dominating in 2023 on their way to the AL East title. Given the talent level up and down the Orioles' roster and the help they have coming from the minor leagues, there is little reason to think that they can't get to 100+ wins once again this coming season.

All of this optimism comes with a price, though. With every move and game during spring training, Orioles fans are trying to figure what individual plays and decisions could mean for Baltimore's chances to repeat last season's successes. Some of those concerns/hopes are valid, while others are pretty gross overreactions to the notoriously small sample sizes that spring training brings.

With that in mind, here is a look at some of the bigger overreactions to the goings on down in Orioles camp through the early portions of spring training.

Gunnar Henderson is going to be just fine (we hope)

Gunnar Henderson was widely hyped as a prospect when he was called up, but it was still pretty shocking when he slashed .255/.325/.489 with 28 homers in his first full season in the big leagues while playing excellent defense on his way to unanimously winning 2023 AL Rookie of the Year. Most prospects need a bit of time to get their feet under them, but Henderson just went ahead and made the jump to being a star and we love to see it.

Unfortunately, Henderson's 2024 season is not off to a banner start, as he has been dealing with a dreaded oblique strain and is behind in his preparations for the season. Oblique injuries are notoriously finicky, and an affected player can range from just missing a little bit of time to lingering on the shelf all season long.

Fortunately for the Orioles, Henderson's injury looks like it will fall in the former camp. He is already taking batting practice again, and manager Brandon Hyde revealed that, assuming he has no setbacks, Henderson could appear in a spring training game sooner rather than later. Hyde believes he will have plenty of time to get ready before Opening Day.

Henderson's status is worth monitoring, as is the case with any injury, but it does seem as though fans can walk back from the edge when it comes to this one.

The Orioles' prospects have had a great spring, but caution is still needed

As was the case last year, much of the focus this spring has been on just how good the Orioles' farm system is and how they will fit into Baltimore's 2024 plans. With Jackson Holliday, Cade Povich, Coby Mayo, Samuel Basallo, Connor Norby, and others all in camp, there are a LOT of Orioles prospects to get excited about.

Orioles fans are already well aware of Holliday at this point. He was the first overall pick in the 2022 draft, is the current top prospect in baseball on many lists, and appears poised to become an instant star once he makes his big league debut. Even if he doesn't make the club right out of the gate, the smart bet is that he will be in the big leagues sometime in 2024.

There are other Orioles prospects impressing in camp as well. Coby Mayo is raking early on and Cade Povich looked awesome on the mound after he got over some early game jitters. If the young guys keep showing out like this the rest of spring training, Baltimore is going to have a really tough time making their final roster cuts at the end of camp.

That said, fans need to remember that it is still very early in camp and these guys are still young and in need of experience. Given that so many of the Orioles' roster spots (especially in the lineup) are already set, there is no need to rush any of these guys unnecessarily. Doing so risks their development and confidence, which could undo all the good work Baltimore has done in building up the minor league ranks.