Baltimore Sun Orioles reporter Jacob Calvin Meyer will answer fans’ questions throughout Orioles spring training and the season. Here are JCM’s thoughts on several questions from readers.

(Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity. Email jameyer@baltsun.com with questions for future mailbags.)

I know it’s a cliche for every fan base to be optimistic this time of year. But what are some of the ways this spring training tangibly feels more hopeful than last year at this time? — u/captain_rex_kramer on Reddit

This was one of the many great questions from my Reddit “Ask Me Anything” earlier this week.

The best part about spring training is that the vibes are always good. Optimism is the default. Shane Baz has Cy Young Award upside. Tyler O’Neill looks spry. Adley Rutschman’s swings look back to old. Heston Kjerstad is healthy and launching homers. But last spring was pretty much the same. O’Neill had a great spring last year, too. Rutschman looked due for a bounce back last spring, too. Tomoyuki Sugano looked awesome.

Last year, almost every person who covers the Orioles predicted they would make the playoffs. So with that comes some confirmation bias. Perhaps we (myself included) didn’t look harshly enough at the roster, the lack of a big bat, the Band-Aid additions to the rotation. I was dead wrong about the 2025 Orioles and part of that was what I saw last spring, so I’ve been making sure to not let the spring hype sway me too much.

To finally answer the question — I do think last year was jarring for the team. It wasn’t just that way for the young core, but also for veterans like Zach Eflin and O’Neill. They know their underperformance played a major role in sinking the 2025 club. The guys who had down 2025s genuinely look and sound hungry to bounce back and prove people wrong. The biggest difference about the 2026 team is that they went through something as terrible as 2025. Those scars have healed, and there’s reason to believe that experience will make them better moving forward.

The Pete Alonso rah-rah, trash talk, chirping from the dugout — it’s fun, but it’s not actually important. This happened in past years, too. Every time Grayson Rodriguez threw a live bullpen, there was tons of trash talk. It’s just different this year because it’s a player of Alonso’s caliber doing it. Alonso’s presence, however, is a big change and should take pressure off the young core during the season. Here’s an example: Last year, when national baseball writers visited Orioles camp, they pounced on Gunnar Henderson the moment he entered the clubhouse. This year, it’s Alonso who is the focus.

Conversely, what are the early signs that maybe we should temper expectations? u/captain_rex_kramer on Reddit

I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum. Spring training is supposed to be fun. It doesn’t do fans any good to focus on the negatives right now. There will be plenty of that. Save up your energy for Craig Albernaz’s first punt lineup on a Sunday in April.

With that said, here are a few reasons:

• This rotation still projects to be the second worst in the American League East.
• The bullpen lacks a true left-on-left guy and is relying on several pitchers with shaky MLB track records.
• The injuries to Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg could cause a slow start that they simply can’t afford.
• The AL East is dang good.

Who do you think will open some eyes during camp? — @SimplyAJ10 on X

Yes, that is actually Adam Jones. Though his first question was actually: “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” I’m not sure, but all I know about groundhogs is I’m not a fan of the one in Punxsutawney.

Entering spring training, my answer might have been Grant Wolfram. The 6-foot-7 lefty has impressed me ever since he made Juan Soto look foolish in July. I also heard a few days into camp from someone in the organization that Wolfram would be someone to keep an eye on this spring, and that’s certainly been true.

Two prospects stood out most to me during live batting practice: outfielder Reed Trimble and right-hander Nestor German. Trimble’s approach and swings from both side of the plate were quite good, while German, with his large pitch mix and repeatable delivery, looked to me like a future big league starting pitcher.

Which surprise player will make the opening day roster? — Jordan from Baltimore

I was asked this same question last spring training. My answer: Bryan Baker. Am I mentioning that simply to brag? Yes. While we’re at it, I also predicted they’d trade for Zach Eflin at the 2024 trade deadline. Let’s stop there before I’m forced to bring out my bad predictions, of which there are many.

This question is more difficult to answer this year. Because of an open bullpen competition and injuries to Holliday and Westburg, the Orioles have more spots up for grabs this spring. That means there are more players fighting for spots and fewer who would constitute being a surprise inclusion.

Orioles roster projection: Who fills in for Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg?

On the position player side, nonroster invitees Sam Huff and Luis Vázquez are the best guesses. Catchers are the most likely players to get hurt, and the Orioles’ (Rutschman and Samuel Basallo) have both dealt with injuries in recent years. One unlucky foul tip to the hand would have Huff in Baltimore to begin the season.

Vázquez is also one injury away from being in the thick of an infield discussion that is already impacted by injuries. But he could also make the roster because he provides something the Orioles don’t have — a plus infield defender for the bench. With Blaze Alexander pushed into an everyday role because of the injuries, it’s expected that Jeremiah Jackson and Coby Mayo will make the opening day roster. But as right-handed hitters with questionable defense, keeping both would be repetitive. If the Orioles are concerned about their infield defense, Vázquez could be the direction they go.

For the starting rotation, Cade Povich is the answer here for the second straight year. If the Orioles have a starting pitcher go down and Eflin isn’t ready for opening day, Povich would be the front-runner for the No. 5 starter job.

For the bullpen, would Albert Suárez, a nonroster invitee, breaking camp in the bullpen count as a surprise? What about Wolfram? Let’s say they don’t count, since Suárez and Wolfram are in the thick of the bullpen competition. Someone who is being overlooked in that competition is Yaramil Hiraldo, who has MLB-caliber swing-and-miss stuff.

But the best guess for the bullpen (and the best guess overall) is Jackson Kowar, a righty that Baltimore acquired early in spring training. The reason? He’s out of minor league options. The Orioles could lose Kowar on waivers if he doesn’t make their opening day roster, and if there’s a tiebreaker, that could be it since Wolfram, Hiraldo and others have options.

What’s the catcher situation going to look like? How can the Orioles get both Rutschman and Basallo in the lineup consistently? — u/Bravens1223 on Reddit

Finally, a time to explain the case for why the Orioles should roster three catchers.

But first: Assuming they don’t carry two catchers and Rutschman and Basallo stay healthy all season, let’s project it at 104 starts behind the plate for Rutschman and 58 for Basallo. That would then result in Rutschman starting around 50 games at designated hitter and about 60 for Basallo. It’s my expectation that entering the season the Orioles will have Basallo on the bench against most left-handed starters. With his insane talent, he could play himself into an everyday role, but considering all the factors (his age, his injury history, being a lefty hitter, having Ryan Mountcastle on the bench), it makes sense to give him days off against southpaws.

The problem with that plan is 104 games for Rutschman and 58 games for Basallo are around their single-season highs. It’s paramount to keep those two healthy. FanGraphs right now has the Orioles at about a 55% chance to make the playoffs. If someone could guarantee you that Rutschman and Basallo stay healthy, that percentage probably jumps to 75% or 85%.

The easiest way to keep them healthy is to have a third catcher on the roster for a good chunk of the season. It doesn’t have to be on opening day, but during the dog days of summer, it could help quite a bit. If Sam Huff is able to take 20 or 30 games off that load, it could help keep Rutschman and Basallo healthy. That might be more valuable during different points of the season than another right-handed pinch hitter or a late-game pinch runner.

How do you think the Orioles would handle the roster and playing time if Westburg comes back only as a DH? — u/schrogotgameyt on Reddit

It’s unlikely that will happen. It just doesn’t work with this team (because of Rutschman, Basallo, Alonso, O’Neill, Mountcastle, etc.). And while Westburg is crucial to this lineup, he’s still a career .768 OPS hitter. This isn’t a Bryce Harper 2022 Phillies situation. That’s why the Orioles are handling this the way they are. Instead of rushing him back so he can hit in April, they’re going to make sure the elbow heals as much as it can before bringing him back.

However, Westburg likely won’t start every game at third base when he returns. It’s fair to assume he’ll have some rest days and DH days mixed in.

Will PRP injection work for Orioles’ Jordan Westburg? History paints murky picture.

How long of a leash will the Orioles give Colton Cowser this year as an everyday player? — u/ohmy00 on Reddit

What other choice do they have?

Leody Taveras is a good defender, but his bat is a concern. Taylor Ward, Heston Kjerstad and O’Neill can’t play center field. Dylan Beavers isn’t an everyday center fielder in the major leagues, though it will be helpful if he can establish a capability to fill in there if needed. Alexander can play there (and perhaps he serves as the short-side platoon there with Cowser), but it’s not fair to expect an infielder to be a regular center fielder. Enrique Bradfield Jr. is exciting, but there’s more question marks about his bat than Cowser’s and Bradfield still has to prove it in Triple-A.

This is a fair question, but I think it’s part of a fan discourse around Cowser that doesn’t make much sense to me. Here’s a paragraph from my mailbag two weeks ago:

“Last year, Cowser totaled 1.0 wins above replacement in 92 games, according to Baseball-Reference. Holliday accumulated 1.0 WAR in 149 games. Cowser’s season was deemed a disaster. Holliday’s was seen as a step in the right direction. Of all the players whose seasons were marred by injury, Cowser’s is arguably the most defensible given his offseason was hindered by a hand injury and then he missed two months with a broken thumb. Cowser’s combination of speed, power, plate discipline and defense makes him a logical bounce-back candidate.”

Even in a disjointed and disappointing season, Cowser hit 16 homers and stole 14 bases in 92 games. Extrapolate those numbers across a 162-game season, it would have put Cowser on the precipice of a 30-30 season — 28 homers and 25 stolen bases.

Cowser needs to remain healthy, play a capable center field and cut down on his swing and miss as much as he can. If he does those things, he will almost certainly be an above average player with the potential of being the type of player he was expected to be during his breakout 2024 campaign.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at jameyer@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.