The century-old debate about the designated hitter has come to an end - at least for this season. The coronavirus changed for 2020 the look of baseball - no fans at games, runner on second to start extra innings, a 60-game schedule - but it also might change history and tear down the final wall that stands between the National and American leagues. When the regular season starts July 23-24, the NL teams will use the designated hitter in all of its games, not just when they are playing in AL...

The Baltimore Orioles today announced that they have signed their first selection, second overall, of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, outfielder Heston Kjerstad, from the University of Arkansas. Kjerstad, 21, hit .448/.513/.791 (30-for-67) with five doubles, six home runs, 19 runs, and 20 RBI in 16 games during his junior season, which was shortened due to COVID-19. He led the Razorbacks in batting average, hits, home runs, RBI, total bases (53), on-base percentage, and slugging percentage....

Last week, we had San Jacinto College North baseball coach Tom Arrington preview catcher Ray Torres IV, who has reportedly agreed to join the Nationals organization as an undrafted free agent. Torres got the call from the Nats after the draft and agreed to terms, forgoing a scholarship offer to LSU. He told me he was ready to go pro after high school last year, but opted instead to get better and hone his skills at San Jacinto this past season. The 20-year-old Torres is now back home in...

Four major league players announced their decisions not to play in 2020 on Monday, three of them current or former Nationals. Their stated reasons for opting out varied from specific health concerns about close family members (Ryan Zimmerman) to more vague concerns about the pandemic (Mike Leake) to a passionate and deeply personal message about baseball, race, culture, health and family (Ian Desmond). Joe Ross, the fourth player, has not yet made a public statement about his decision. Which is...

The composition of the Orioles' second camp roster is public knowledge. We've been able to identify the first 44 players set to gather later this week at Camden Yards. We're just figuring out exactly what to call it. "Summer camp" and "spring training 2.0" are getting mixed reviews on Twitter. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias used "summer camp" in yesterday's Zoom with the media, so perhaps that makes it acceptable. Put the blame on him if anyone rebels. Also under...

We haven't done this in months, so it's probably past time for another Orioles question-and-answer session here on the blog. Time for readers to throw out O's questions and/or comments - anything on the majors or minors, draft, whatever - and we'll take shots at providing some answers and responses. As always, readers responding to other readers provide interesting, well, reading. So dive in today and keep the questions coming. There should be plenty to discuss with a very unique season...

Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said today that he anticipates having a full roster and staffs for the beginning of spring training 2.0. Camps open on Friday after testing for COVID-19 is conducted two days earlier. Multiple players on other teams already have decided to sit out the 2020 season, which is reduced to 60 games due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross and the Diamondbacks' Mike Leake opted out today. "After a great...

In a time of disappointments for baseball fans everywhere, Nationals fans got an extra dose of woe this week when they learned that the face of the franchise has opted out of the 2020 season, citing his concern that returning to the clubhouse this year would greatly increase his chances of contracting the coronavirus and spreading it to his family. Ryan Zimmerman, 35, would have been easing off on his playing time this season even if the COVID-19 pandemic had not come to pass. Now with the...

If you're a longtime viewer of "Orioles Classics" on MASN, you know that we run quite the baseball smorgasbord here. You never know quite what you're going to get in terms of games. This week's buffet is heavy on the Iron Man, featuring the collective hits of Cal Ripken Jr. You'll see his 2,130th game, which tied him with Yankees legend Lou Gehrig for the longest active streak in major league history. You'll see Ripken's 3,000th career hit. And you'll see the game where Ripken made...

Ryan Zimmerman, the only person to play in a major league game for the Nationals during each of their 15 seasons in town, will not play for the club during its 16th season. Zimmerman and right-hander Joe Ross have opted out of the abbreviated 2020 campaign, uncomfortable with the health risks posed to players and staffers during this unprecedented attempt to play through a global pandemic. "Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross have decided not to participate in the 2020 season for the personal health...