Hopped onto @michaelclair.bsky.social's international beat to write about the Netherlands, a team excited to play for new manager Andruw Jones in the 2026 WBC.
"Everyone knows what he did, and he’s bringing that to us right now. He’s bringing the extra knowledge.”
www.mlb.com/news/andruw-...
Jeremiah Jackson made an error at shortstop earlier today (1 of 3 by the Orioles so far), but the 25-year-old atones for it with his bat, swatting a home run in the bottom of the 5th inning vs. Netherlands.
03.03.2026 19:41 — 👍 7 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Pete Alonso blasts a go-ahead 2-run home run in the bottom of the 1st inning. Orioles lead Team Netherlands 2-1.
It's Alonso's 3rd homer of the spring (although it will not show in Spring Training stats, because this exhibition is not Grapefruit League play).
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz and Team Netherlands manager Andruw Jones exchange the scorecards before today’s exhibition game in Sarasota
03.03.2026 18:01 — 👍 6 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Today's Orioles pitchers vs. Netherlands: LHP Trevor Rogers (starter), RHP Dean Kremer, RHP Yennier Cano, LHP Grant Wolfram
This will be Kremer's final appearance before leaving to join Team Israel for the World Baseball Classic.
Orioles have made their first cuts of camp.
RHP Chayce McDermott was optioned to Minor League camp.
RHP Jeisson Cabrera, INF Payton Eeles, RHP Keagan Gillies and RHP Richard Guasch were reassigned to Minor League camp.
O’s camp roster down to 69 players.
Today’s Orioles lineup vs. Netherlands
03.03.2026 15:13 — 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 1
Love off-days in Sarasota ☀️🏖️🌊
02.03.2026 19:14 — 👍 13 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Spring Breakout is expanding!
MLB’s annual spring prospect showcase is becoming a single-elimination tournament for 2027 and 2028, with the Cactus League and Grapefruit League each crowning a Spring Breakout champion.
MLB Pipeline’s new Orioles Top 30 Prospects list has dropped:
www.mlb.com/milb/news/or...
Chris Bassitt made his Orioles debut and focused on his heaters, Samuel Basallo returned to the lineup in a big way and Enrique Bradfield Jr. showed off his electric tools in multiple fashions.
More in today's notes from the action in Fort Myers: www.mlb.com/orioles/news...
Orioles OF prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. said he's leaving tonight to join Team Panama ahead of the WBC and is looking forward to the intense games coming up.
"I'm a player that thrives off environment. ... I'm excited to see what the WBC can bring out of me. I'm a competitor."
Enrique Bradfield Jr.: "It's pretty funny. Cowser moved me in right before that pitch. So he looked over, he was like, 'Oh, that's my bad.' I'm like, 'What, are you trying to sabotage me over here?'"
It still worked out for the speedster.
"He set me up for a good one."
Heston Kjerstad is 3-for-3 with a double, 2 singles and an RBI today.
The 27-year-old outfielder is hitting .429 (6-for-14) with a 1.181 OPS in Grapefruit League action for the Orioles this spring.
Yeah, Samuel Basallo looks to be just fine.
The Orioles' top prospect clubs a 2-run ground-rule double to right-center field in the 5th inning.
A bunt that resulted in Orioles prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. standing on 3rd base by the end of the play?
There's that 80-grade speed again! An elite sprint speed of 30.5 feet/second on this one, per Statcast.
(Ruled a single and advanced on error)
Chris Bassitt threw 23 sinkers today (57.5%) and 77.5% of his pitches were a type of fastball (sinker/4S/cutter).
That was by design. Bassitt didn't want to show too much against an AL East rival and was instead focused on arm strength.
"Just to remind my arm that we’re going."
Willson Contreras hits a 3-run home run off Jeisson Cabrera in the bottom of the 3rd. 1 of those runs gets charged to Bassitt, who was replaced by Cabrera after issuing a leadoff walk to Wilyer Abreu.
Bassitt's final line: 2+ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K's. 40 pitches, 24 strikes.
After issuing a walk to lead off the bottom of the 2nd, Orioles starter Chris Bassitt retired the next 3 Red Sox hitters. He's through 2 innings with 1 earned run allowed on 2 hits and 1 walk.
34 pitches, 22 strikes.
Bassitt has thrown 61.8% sinkers (21/34) today.
Orioles prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. has made plenty of remarkable catches in his life thanks to his 80-grade speed.
Well, here's another one.
Orioles' Heston Kjerstad followed this with a left-on-left knock of his own -- a double the opposite way to LF off the replica Green Monster.
Basallo then scored on a Thairo Estrada groundout.
Not only is Orioles top prospect Samuel Basallo healthy, but he knocked a left-on-left single off Red Sox starter Ranger Suárez to open the 2nd inning.
109.5 mph exit velocity off the bat.
Heavy dose of sinkers (9/15) so far for Chris Bassitt, though he also threw his curveball (3), splitter (1), 4-seam fastball (1) and cutter (1).
Velo sitting around 90-91 mph, maxed at 91.8.
Chris Bassitt retired the 1st 2 Red Sox batters he faced in his Orioles debut before giving up a hard-hit double to Willson Contreras and a bloop RBI single to Caleb Durbin.
Bassitt got Marcelo Mayer to pop out to end the 1st inning.
15 pitches, 10 strikes for Bassitt so far.
Chris Bassitt turned 37 last Sunday. In his Orioles debut today, he'll be caught by 21-year-old prospect Samuel Basallo.
When Bassitt made his MLB debut for the White Sox in August 2014, Basallo was 10.
When Bassitt was drafted by the White Sox in June 2011, Basallo was 6.
Vance Honeycutt's ABs are becoming must-watch moments this spring. There's only been 3 of them ... but they've resulted in 3 home runs.
The Orioles prospect isn't trying to hit homers.
But it could certainly be a confidence boost after his tough 2025.
www.mlb.com/orioles/news...
Today's Orioles pitchers vs. Red Sox in Fort Myers: RHP Chris Bassitt, RHP Jeisson Cabrera, LHP Luis De León, RHP Cameron Foster, RHP Anthony Nunez, RHP Albert Suárez.
01.03.2026 16:26 — 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Today’s Orioles lineup vs. Red Sox in Fort Myers.
Samuel Basallo (right side abdominal discomfort) back behind the plate to catch Chris Bassitt’s O’s debut.
Blaze Alexander gets a start at shortstop as Gunnar Henderson leaves today for WBC.
6 MLB players have 3 home runs this spring: Charlie Condon (COL), Jarren Duran (BOS), Spencer Jones (NYY), TJ Rumfield (COL), Mike Yastrzemski (ATL) and … Vance Honeycutt (BAL).
4 of them have between 10-13 ABs. Yastrzemski has 8.
Honeycutt has 3.
Surprised to see Coby Mayo at shortstop for the Orioles today? So was he!
More on how such a plan came about, how Mayo unexpectedly learned of it and how it went for the 24-year-old at his former high school position he hadn’t played since rookie ball: www.mlb.com/orioles/news...
