When it comes to getting an opinion on the young Orioles infield prospects that are showing so well at this spring training, we could do a lot worse than Orioles Hall of Famer Mike Bordick.

A 14-year big league veteran who played home games in Baltimore for parts of 1997 through 2002, Bordick was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2011. A 2000 All-Star, he played a major league-record 110 straight errorless games at shortstop during the 2002 season.

He just spent time in Sarasota as a camp instructor for the team and got to see and work directly with top 100 infield prospects who have won much recognition: Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Connor Norby, Joey Ortiz and Coby Mayo.

“The Orioles really have stockpiled some of the best athletes in the country as far as shortstops and guys that can play with versatility in the infield,” Bordick told me in an interview this week. “I got to witness some of that with the young players. And I was blown away on many fronts. First of all, their skill level is at the top. A very exciting group of athletic young players.

“Connor Norby, Mayo, Jackson Holliday, and all of this is kind of spearheaded by Gunnar Henderson. Might be sooner than we think that they will talk about him as an MVP candidate in the American League. Just a skillsy, five-tool player. The speed, the power, the great arm and defensive intelligence.

The Orioles today announced that Oriole Park at Camden Yards will host a NCAA Division I baseball game between the United States Naval Academy and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County baseball teams on Wednesday, March 29 at 6:00 p.m. ET.

Tickets are $10 for general admission in the lower level seating bowl. Current Navy and UMBC students will receive a free ticket by presenting a valid student ID at the Oriole Park Box Office. Members of the military in uniform can visit the Oriole Park Box Office to receive free admission. Additionally, Birdland Members interested in attending will receive two free tickets and can purchase additional tickets for $5 each through their My Orioles Tickets account. Parking will be available in Lots B and C for $5. All fans must enter through Gate C, which will open at 5:00 p.m. To purchase tickets and parking, visit Orioles.com/Navy.

A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Yellow Ribbon Fund. A 501(c)(3) veteran service organization, the Yellow Ribbon Fund provides housing, transportation, and caregiver and family support to severely wounded, ill, and injured post-9/11 service members from every branch of the United States Military, following unexpected medical crises. For more information, visit YellowRibbonFund.org. 

Fans in attendance will have the first opportunity to try new concessions items from Levy, Oriole Park’s recently announced hospitality partner. The market leader in creating unforgettable hospitality experiences at sports and entertainment venues, Levy crafted an elevated food and beverage experience for fans visiting Camden Yards.

All credential requests must be coordinated through the Navy Athletics Sports Information Department. If your media organization is interested in covering the event, please contact Marshal Filipowicz (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). In your email, please include your organization and the names of those covering the event, how many parking spots are needed, as well as any accompanying photo or video requests. All requests should be sent to Filipowicz by Thursday, March 23.

It started out with a tweet I published following Sunday’s Orioles game, which took just two hours and 16 minutes to play, posing a question. What did fans think of the use of the pitch timer thus far?

Twitter didn’t disappoint in that I received a large amount of responses and I did not count up how many were positive or negative but there were plenty of both. It should come as no surprise that there were responses in the extremes – some that thought it was great and others that felt it was just terrible and ruining the game.

I would guess it’s way too soon to pass any real judgment, but I do thus far like the faster pace of play, quicker pace and shorter time of games.

Through Sunday and their first 10 spring training games, the Orioles had played six games lasting 2:40 or more and four that lasted 2:21 or less.

Through the 10 games, the average time of an O’s spring contest is two hours, 36 minutes. The average time of a game last year in the majors was 3:03 and it was 3:10 in 2021. The last year that a game time averaged under three hours was in 2015 at 2:56. So going with last year’s time and this year’s spring thus far, the O’s games are shorter from last year in MLB by 27 minutes.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Grayson Rodriguez left his glove on the ground as the crowd reacted today to a line drive hit up the middle of the field. Rodriguez hustled after the ball, threw out the Twins’ Donovan Solano and began flexing his hand. The Orioles dugout began to hyperventilate.

The medical check from manager Brandon Hyde and an athletic trainer kept Rodriguez in the game, and he finished the second inning with back-to-back strikeouts with his changeup. A scary moment but nothing that would prompt executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, sitting behind home plate, to again scan the starting pitching market.

Rodriguez returned for the third as the club intended, but he exited with two outs and his pitch count at 55. He allowed one run, on José Miranda’s leadoff homer to left field in the second, and three hits with two walks and four strikeouts, the last against Carlos Correa.

The Twins loaded the bases in the third and Blaine Knight struck out Solano.

“Hit the palm of my glove, so I was able to get leather on it, ultimately make the play,” Rodriguez said. “Just glad nothing is injured.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Orioles infielder Terrin Vavra is making steady progress after being scratched from Saturday’s lineup with discomfort in his left shoulder.

Vavra said this morning that he’d attempt to hit for the first time. He’s been shut down and receiving treatment.

“Feel good, kept getting better,” Vavra said. “Just trying to keep treating it and make sure it’s not an issue down the road. But definitely some improvements and I swing today, so shouldn’t be off the field too much longer.”

Vavra didn’t know how much he’d hit and whether it was just off a tee or in the cage.

“I think we’re just going to see how it goes,” he said. “We’re going to go as far as I can, but also not try to stretch it too far. Should be not too long before I’m back in the lineup.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. – John Means is getting back to baseball normal.

Means threw his first half-mound session yesterday morning in Sarasota, tossing 20 fastballs with no discomfort in his surgically repaired left elbow. He’ll do it again Wednesday and progress to a full mound Friday morning.

“Felt great, felt awesome,” Means said. “Kind of felt like a baseball player again yesterday. Got some dirt on my cleats, so it was great. Everything felt good.”

Means said he threw with 50 percent intensity and will gradually increase it.

“Just feeling the slope again,” he said.

In an organization loaded with shortstop prospects – with Gunnar Henderson having signed as a shortstop and others like Joey Ortiz and Jordan Westburg and last year’s overall No. 1 pick Jackson Holliday in the pipeline – a young kid from the Dominican Republic can get overlooked.

But with a smooth-looking left-handed swing that is now producing some impressive stats, and a solid glove, we should not discount Frederick Bencosme from Moca, Dominican Republic.

Bencosme, 20, who could begin this year as starting shortstop at High-A Aberdeen, was indeed a bit overlooked before the Orioles signed him for just $10,000 on Aug. 14, 2020.

But he has put together a batting line of .311/.376/.425/.801 in two seasons on the O’s farm. He played 44 games in the Dominican Summer League in 2021 and 73 last year with two in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League, 59 for low Single-A Delmarva and 12 to end his year with Aberdeen.

Bencosme said he has gained a lot in two years on the Baltimore farm.

Courtesy: Baltimore Orioles

He is now ranked as highly as No. 12 on one Orioles top 30 prospects list, but young O’s catching prospect Samuel Basallo from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is aiming even higher.

“When the list came out, my agent actually sent it to me, so I am aware of the rankings. I feel really proud of that because of all the hard work I have been putting in and you know trying to be the best baseball player that I can be. But to tell you the truth I want to try to finish this year being in the top five of that list,” Basallo told me in an interview last week with the help of Orioles translator Brandon Quinones.

Basallo’s No. 12 ranking is from MLBPipeline.com, which had seven international O’s signees among its latest top 30 that dropped last week. Basallo was the highest-rated among that group. He is also ranked as the club’s No. 14 prospect by FanGraphs.com and No. 15 by Baseball America. And this year he's ranked No. 1 on our second annual MASNSports.com ratings of the Orioles' top 20 international prospects.

At age 18, Basallo is drawing rave reviews for his big power potential and a big right arm. Both get 60 grades from scouts on the 20-80 scouting scale. That means those tools are well above average.

Basallo recalled for me that his involvement with baseball in the Dominican Republic goes back to his very early years.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles are traveling to Tropicana Field this morning to play the Rays, who can't use their spring facility in Port Charlotte due to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ian.

The place will seem empty. As if that's an oddity. But it's still 72 degrees and dry inside and a great setup for visiting teams and the media. Don't be a hater.

I spent some time yesterday making sure that I didn't forget to share anything important, as the days meld together and the brain begins to fry. Or anything stupid. Let's not be elitist.

* Outfielder Kyle Stowers isn’t working out at first base.

I felt like I had to confirm it after speculating in Friday’s mailbag.

SARASOTA, Fla. – A pitch clock violation wasn’t the most annoying part of Tyler Wells’ day in his first spring start. Pretty close, though.

One of this year's rule changes kept tweaking him.

Wells allowed three runs and five hits today in two innings against the Braves. Left-hander Cionel Pérez replaced him in the third.

Michael Harris, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, homered with the bases empty and two outs in the first. Ehire Adrianza had an RBI double in the second after Forrest Wall’s leadoff single, and Eddie Rosario lined a single to right field with two outs for a 3-0 lead.

Wells faced 11 batters and threw 36 pitches, 24 for strikes. He had eight first-pitch strikes, an exception coming with his violation against Rosario before the RBI single.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tyler Wells makes his spring debut this afternoon against the Braves, with Adley Rutschman setting the target for him.

Rutschman is batting second, followed by third baseman Gunnar Henderson, right fielder Kyle Stowers and second baseman Jordan Westburg.

Joey Ortiz is starting at shortstop and batting ninth.

Terrin Vavra is leading off and playing left field. Ryan McKenna is the center fielder.

This is a split-squad game for the Braves, who are starting National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Spencer Strider.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Terrin Vavra was supposed to play left field and lead off today against the Phillies. However, he's been scratched from the lineup and replaced by Colton Cowser.

Third baseman Gunnar Henderson is leading off. Cowser is batting eighth.

No reason provided at this time.

Orioles reliever Nick Vespi had his fifth bullpen session yesterday morning, using all of his pitches and totaling 35. He advances next week to one or two live bullpen sessions and should be ready to start appearing in games.

Vespi, who underwent hernia surgery on Jan. 5, remains confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day if he makes the club.

Sometimes on the international amateur market, because players sign at such a young age, teams can get a big talent off a small investment. Players who may not command a big signing bonus when the deadline to sign players arrives, but then mature fast or grow into solid players quickly and produce much more than their signing bonuses might indicate.

The Orioles sure seem to have such a player in 20-year-old shortstop Frederick Bencosme, a young man that I found has an engaging personality to match a smooth left-handed swing. Signed for the small sum of $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic on Aug. 14, 2020, Bencosme was among the best hitters for average last summer on the Baltimore farm, which, considering the bats they have, is saying something.

In fact, among O’s farmhands with 250 or more at-bats last year, no one outhit Bencosme’s average of .311 between his 59 games at low Single-A Delmarva, two in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League and 12 to end the year with High-A Aberdeen.

He is our No. 2-ranked O’s international prospect as today I unveil more of our top 20 international prospects rankings.

Bencosme has a sweet-looking left-handed swing and some solid contact skills. His strikeout rate was just 11.4 in 2021, when he hit .310 in the Dominican Summer League. It was just 12.4 with a 10.8 walk rate during an impressive 59-game run with the Shorebirds last year. With Delmarva he hit .336/.410/.432/.842. He moved to Aberdeen on Aug. 27. And while he only hit .154 in 12 games with the IronBirds, he would show off that smooth and polished swing in the playoffs, where he had a three-hit game. He projects to start this year as the shortstop at Aberdeen and also mix in some games at second and third base.

SARASOTA, Fla. – We’re a little more than two weeks into Orioles spring training and they haven’t made any roster cuts. There are still 71 players in camp, though Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, Dean Kremer and Darwinzon Hernández are leaving for the World Baseball Classic. The same competitions are unresolved through seven games.

Pitchers John Means, Dillon Tate and Seth Johnson will go on the injured list. Closer Félix Bautista sounds confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day. So does DL Hall, except we don’t know whether a Triple-A assignment remains in the cards or he’s assured of heading north with the club.

Tyler Wells is making his first start this afternoon against the Braves. We don’t know whether he’s in the rotation or bullpen on Opening Day, whether the club could pivot and use him in a piggyback role with Grayson Rodriguez early in the season to control the rookie’s innings.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias sounds hesitant to commit to it because you’re basically reducing the ‘pen to seven relievers with Wells serving as a second starter in those games.

Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin are the locks for the rotation. Rodriguez is as close to one as you get without using the word. My mock still has Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer, knowing that excluding Wells seems ridiculous. I hate to do it. I don’t know how this is going to work.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Anthony Santander is starting in left field for tonight’s home game against the Pirates.

Santander also will play Sunday and Monday before driving to Miami for the World Baseball Classic.

Cedric Mullins is making his penultimate appearance before flying to Arizona to join Team USA. He’s in center field tonight and also will play Sunday.

Austin Hays is the designated hitter, James McCann is catching and Nomar Mazara is in right field.

Kyle Gibson makes his Orioles debut.

It was last August on a back field at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. O’s top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez was going to throw a couple innings of live batting practice in working his way back on rehab toward his September minor league return from a lat issue.

One of the hitters he faced that day was from the O’s Rookie-level Florida Complex League roster, a lefty-hitting catcher named Samuel Basallo. He is a touted young Dominican-born prospect who was signed in January 2021 for $1.3 million, the highest bonus for the club in that international class.

Basallo, now 18, had obviously already grabbed the Orioles' attention with his big power potential and strong right arm. And then he garnered more attention that afternoon when he took the stud pitching prospect opposite field for a big fly.

At Ed Smith Stadium a few days ago, Rodriguez, ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the sport by Baseball America, recalled that one at-bat against Basallo.

“Some of the staff in Florida, I was asking about some of the kids I would face that day and they mentioned Basallo," Rodriguez said. "They were joking around with me. They said, ‘You better not throw him fastballs.’ I went out that day - and I think it was an FCL off-day - and I only got to face two hitters. He was one.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Opening the mailbag during spring training only makes a person prickly in the Cactus League. No danger of it happening here.

Seriously. I wouldn't needle you.

Only positive vibes allowed in Camp Happy.

The Orioles are playing their first night game, hosting the Pirates and sending Kyle Gibson to the mound for his debut. Media clubhouse access and the posting of the lineup will happen later than usual.

In the meantime ...

LAKELAND, Fla. – Before Adley Rutschman crouched behind the plate today and set his first target for Grayson Rodriguez, he needed to give his friend an early lead.

Rutschman hit a long home run to left field, put his gear on and went to work - catching one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, guiding the right-hander through his first spring training start.

The stuff he really enjoys doing. A collaboration that Orioles fans have craved for years.

“Anytime you know he’s back there, you know it’s going to be a good game,” Rodriguez said. “I think he knows me better than myself. I’ve learned in the past not to shake him.”

Rodriguez said something later that should make the rest of the league quiver.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Adley Rutschman is catching Grayson Rodriguez for today’s game against the Tigers in Lakeland.

Does anything else matter?

Well, Gunnar Henderson is batting third and playing shortstop. Jordan Westburg is the third baseman. Connor Norby is the designated hitter.

Another day that’s rich in prospects.

Terrin Vavra is starting at second base and Kyle Stowers is the left fielder.

LAKELAND, Fla. – DL Hall arrived inside the Orioles clubhouse this morning wearing a cap that covered his buzz cut. And that concluded the hair portion of his discussion with a reporter who stopped by his locker.

Hall had his second bullpen session this morning at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. He threw all fastballs, just as he did on Monday, but can gradually increase his total.

“Every one gets a little bit more and more,” he said before heading out to the field.

“I’m feeling good, moving along. Everything’s progressing pretty normal. Not too long before I’ll be facing batters.”

The Orioles are bringing Hall along slowly after he experienced discomfort on the right side of his lower back about three weeks before camp opened. He said today that he’s been pain-free for about five weeks.