As the Orioles aim to prove that last season’s disaster was an anomaly, Bassitt and Alonso are the sort of players who can maintain accountability and put potential issues to rest before they reach the manager’s office.
The Orioles made the surprise move to option right-hander Dean Kremer to the minors at the beginning of the season rather than carrying six starting pitchers.
Micah Ashman is a 23-year-old left-handed reliever who arrived midway through 2025 as the other half of the trade that sent right-hander Charlie Morton to the Detroit Tigers.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz joked that Bourgeois brings the tennis racket to the outfield to work on his game. But in reality, the drill could help Baltimore’s outfielders.
First baseman Pete Alonso, who declined to specifically detail the strategy to maintain what he called a tactical advantage, summed it up this way: “You’ve got to be self-aware to realize when to use it and when not to use it, but you relatively want to keep them for those [big] moments.”