SARASOTA, Fla. — There’s no mistaking where Pete Alonso is on the field.
Never mind the 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame that fills the batter’s box like a man born to blast home runs into orbit with ease. It was the first baseman’s voice that quickly became unmistakable Wednesday at Ed Smith Stadium, where Orioles pitchers and catchers held their first official workouts to open spring training.
Alonso, like many of his fellow position players, was already settled into his new locker, the stall positioned at the head of the clubhouse and previously held by longtime outfielder Cedric Mullins. He got to the complex early Wednesday morning and took the field with his new teammates for a light day of agility drills, defensive work and live bullpen sessions.
The Orioles’ $155 million man made his presence felt everywhere he went. Fans were clamoring to get his autograph all morning, and he finally obliged after finishing up on the agility field. Alonso took groundballs on a backfield with seven coaches standing by, despite being the only player involved in the drill. Security guards and ushers offered words of welcome and gratitude as he walked between fields.
“Baltimore needed you,” yelled one fan from behind the orange ropes.
Then came the live bullpen session, which pitted pitchers Dean Kremer and Shane Baz against a lineup of Alonso, Dylan Beavers, Jeremiah Jackson and Luis Vázquez. Alonso made a competition out of it, giving out points to hitters for balls that dropped in for hits and conceding them to the pitchers when they got them out.
He became every hitter’s hype man, celebrating the balls in play — calling them hits every time regardless of where they went — and trash-talking with Kremer. Alonso’s personality shone through even when he struck out, shooting an intrigued “Ooh, good pitch” over at Kremer after he swung through a breaking ball.
Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson goes the other way off Shane Baz during live BP pic.twitter.com/NjOSKSTSXy
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) February 11, 2026
The Orioles brought in Alonso this offseason to change the complexion of their lineup, and his bat will be integral to their offensive success, especially early with Jackson Holliday already sidelined and Jordan Westburg dealing with an oblique injury. But his veteran presence and team-first mentality will go a long way in the Orioles’ clubhouse, too.
“He’s going to be a staple in this offense for years to come and something for the rest of us players to work around,” outfielder Tyler O’Neill said. “I’m really excited to see how he works and what that preparation looks like for him personally and getting to know him better as a teammate.”
Much like the $23 million renovations the Orioles did to their spring training complex, their investment in Alonso sent a signal to the rest of the players that ownership and the front office are willing to spend to produce a winner. Even Coby Mayo, whose path to playing time at first base was blocked by Alonso, said he couldn’t blame the Orioles for acquiring a player of his caliber.
“Not frustrating at all,” Mayo said. “Pete Alonso is one of the best first basemen in the league, and as a player on this team, you got to be super happy for this organization, for the fans that they went after a big fish and got them. So, it’s great for the team.”
Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich. Matt appears as a regular host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast.
