As Anthony Santander approached the batter’s field to steer off the fourth inning, he determined to experiment. He seemed out to the pitch clock to the left of the middle discipline batter’s eye, watching the seconds tick away.
The Orioles outfielder needed to get a gauge on Major League Baseball’s new timing system, with Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener in opposition to the Minnesota Twins marking the introduction of the game’s new guidelines, together with a countdown between pitches to enhance tempo of play. Although Santander’s goal was to be set within the field one second earlier than he wanted to be, home-plate umpire Chad Fairchild dominated in any other case, giving Santander an computerized strike to open the at-bat.
Santander was dissatisfied with each the ruling and the clock that led to it, saying the league’s want for faster video games is “for fans; that’s not for us.” Saturday’s recreation, a 10-5 victory by the Orioles, lasted 2 hours and 54 minutes; spring coaching video games Friday in Arizona lasted about 2 1/2 hours, with former Orioles star Manny Machado, now with the San Diego Padres, turning into the primary hitter to obtain an computerized strike and joking he could be down 0-1 quite a bit this season.
“It’s different, there’s no doubt,” stated Orioles supervisor Brandon Hyde, noting this recreation might need taken 4 hours in a earlier spring. “You can’t put your head down in the dugout. I think I missed a few pitches because I was writing something down or whatever, and all of a sudden here it comes.”
Hyde’s missed moments included Santander’s violation, prompting him to quip “0-1 [count] on me, too.” He stated the primary pitch of an at-bat would be the hardest on hitters, with Santander saying an outfielder main off an inning can be particularly challenged.
“You don’t have enough time even to drink water,” Santander stated. “You have to make a sprint. I don’t know. If you have to put on your shin guard, your elbow guard, it’s tough. But we can’t put that stuff in our mind. You have to play the game and get used to it.”
Beginning as soon as the pitcher receives the ball, the clock begins with 15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with any runners on. If a pitcher hasn’t began his movement when it reaches 0, a ball is robotically known as. But the hitter may also be penalized, needing to be able to hit and going through the pitcher with 8 seconds left.
“I got set at 9,” Santander stated. “I was watching the clock walking to home plate. … Honestly, I was doing that on purpose because I got there with 9 seconds and was looking straight into the pitcher. And I told the umpire, next time, we might need to check the video, the record, and see if I was looking at the pitcher. I’m sure I was looking to the pitcher before the 8 seconds.”
In the seventh inning, Daz Cameron joined Santander in receiving violations, the lone instances of the sport’s new guidelines having an obvious influence on the sport. With MLB banning shifts by requiring groups to have two infielders within the filth on both aspect of second base, just a few groundballs that may have been outs in years previous bounced by way of. Bigger bases, going from 15-by-15 sq. inches to 18-by-18 in an effort to enhance participant security and doubtlessly improve base-stealing alternatives, weren’t notably noticeable, both.
Orioles pitching prospect Drew Rom, who labored with the pitch clock final season in Triple-A earlier than beginning Saturday’s recreation, stated gamers will regulate in time, although he observed Minnesota’s main league hitters had extra bother than those that had handled the timer within the minors. Santander stated the principles being carried out in spring coaching offers the prospect for that adjustment to occur earlier than video games matter.
“You have to practice, get used to this stuff,” Santander stated. “The largest adjustment is don’t put that in your thoughts as a result of then you definately’ve acquired no probability.
“We have to use spring training, get used to it and don’t make excuses when the season starts.”
Heston hammers homers
In his first profession spring coaching recreation, Heston Kjerstad hit a house run for annually between his No. 2 general draft choice and his skilled debut.
A coronary heart situation and a hamstring harm meant Kjerstad’s third spring coaching within the group was the primary he might really play, and he clearly savored the chance. Baltimore’s No. 12 prospect in line with Baseball America, Kjerstad homered the opposite approach in his first two at-bats, sending one down the left discipline line and one other out to left heart. He practically hit a 3rd in his subsequent journey, but it surely sliced foul. He then singled by way of the fitting aspect.
“Definitely a good day,” Kjerstad stated. “First day at the yard, there’s a lot more to come.”
The coronary heart situation myocarditis saved Kjerstad from being a part of Orioles camp in 2021, and a extreme left hamstring pressure suffered on the cusp of huge league spring coaching knocked for him out for 2022. He didn’t play his first recreation within the Orioles’ minor league system till two years to the day after Baltimore chosen him in 2020′s first spherical.
He dominated at Low-A Delmarva earlier than his efficiency faltered with High-A Aberdeen. He rounded out his season by successful MVP honors within the Arizona Fall League. Turns out he thrives in spring, too, and Saturday ultimately gave him the prospect to indicate it.
“His power is so impressive,” Hyde stated. “We actually had a little meeting with him this morning, just how he feels. He looks amazing, feels great, and the way he’s swinging the bat so far this spring has been really fun to watch. Really pulling for him. He’s doing a great job.”
Big prospect day in infield
Given the existence of Gunnar Henderson, it might be tough to confer with any of the Orioles’ shortstop-third baseman mixtures Saturday as their future left aspect of the infield. But all the preparations bode properly for his or her future.
Joey Ortiz, Baltimore’s No. 8 prospect, began at shortstop, and Jackson Holliday, the highest general decide within the 2022 draft, entered behind him. Added to the 40-man roster this offseason after posting an OPS over 1.000 from July on, Ortiz drove within the Orioles’ first run of their 10-5 victory with an RBI triple. Holliday, the youngest participant in camp at age 19, doubled to proper heart within the seventh, echoing another younger blonde Orioles by dropping his helmet as he approached second and exhibiting off his hair. Holliday may even play Sunday in opposition to Detroit in Lakeland, Hyde stated.
“He showed today what kind of player he’s gonna be,” Hyde stated. “The speed, how he’s gonna play defense. He’s gonna be really, really special.”
No. 10 prospect Coby Mayo began at third base, with No. 25 prospect César Prieto changing him. Prieto adopted Holliday’s double with a two-run single.
Of the Orioles’ prime 10 prospects in camp, six are infielders. That group doesn’t embrace Terrin Vavra, who impressed together with his plate self-discipline as a rookie and is competing for a bench job this spring. After getting into at second Saturday, he hit a ground-rule double and homered to heart discipline.
“It’s been fun making these first couple days of lineups,” Hyde stated pregame. “Giving a lot of our prospects a lot of at-bats and a lot of innings in the field defensively early. It’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be fun to have fans watch. It’s gonna be fun for us to watch them play. We’re pretty talented, so great experience for these guys, but fun for us to evaluate.”
Grapefruit League
Orioles at Tigers
Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com