Holliday, Basallo among nonroster spring training invitees

Orioles’ top prospects Jackson Holliday, Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo are among the club’s 20 nonroster invitees who will be in attendance for 2024 spring training, the team announced Tuesday. Holliday and Mayo will appear in camp for the second straight season while Basallo’s invitation marks his first chance to go up against MLB-caliber competition.

Holliday, 20, enters camp with a significant chance of cracking the Orioles’ opening day roster. The consensus No. 1 overall prospect in baseball began last season in Low-A Delmarva and finished it at Triple-A Norfolk. He hit .323 with 12 home runs, 24 stolen bases and a .941 OPS in 125 games across four levels of the minor leagues, breezing through Baltimore’s farm system.

“He hasn’t been in Triple-A fairly long, but he did pretty well,” Elias said at his end-of-season news conference in October. “I think when you’re 19 and [then] you’re 20, it’s one year but that’s a lot of aging and physical development. I can’t wait to see what he looks like in spring training. Look forward to having him there. He’s going to have a chance to make the team.”

Also looking to earn a spot on the Orioles’ 26-man roster is Mayo, who hit 29 home runs with a .974 OPS in 140 games between Norfolk and Double-A Bowie. The corner infielder enters his age-22 season amid a crowded Orioles position player-prospect mix, though the group did get a little thinner last week when the team traded shortstop Joey Ortiz to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the package for ace starting pitcher Corbin Burnes.

Basallo, 19, rocketed up prospect rankings this offseason on the heels of impressive showings at Delmarva and High-A Aberdeen. The Dominican catcher and first baseman played four games in Double-A to close out the year; he’s unlikely to be in consideration for the Orioles’ opening day roster but his invitation is a testament to his 2023 success.

Other notable prospects to garner nonroster invites include their top two pitching prospects, Chayce McDermott and Cade

Povich, as well as infielder Connor Norby. Relievers Andrew Suárez and outfielder Daniel Johnson are among those with MLB experience who signed minor league deals with the Orioles this offseason. Baltimore’s full spring training roster consists of 58 players, including other top prospects already on the 40-man such as outfielders Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad.

Orioles pitchers and catchers will report to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida, on Feb. 14 with the team’s first full squad workout scheduled for Feb. 20. Baltimore kicks off its Grapefruit League schedule Feb. 24 against the Boston Red Sox.

NONROSTER INVITEES Pitchers

RHP Justin Armbruester RHP Wandisson Charles LHP Tucker Davidson LHP Luis González

LHP Ronald Guzmán RHP Chayce McDermott LHP Cade Povich

RHP Garrett Stallings