Prospect watch

Rutschman and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, the game’s top pitching prospect, are seemingly locks to be among the prospects the Orioles bring to major league camp as nonroster invitees. But the other minor leaguers who join them will speak both to which prospects Baltimore wants in the major league atmosphere and what areas they feel they use more depth during camp.

Outfielder Kyle Stowers, who showed off his power across three levels to share the organization’s minor league Player of the Year honor with Rutschman, figures to be at major league camp, and others who had high minors success in 2021, such as outfielder Robert Neustrom, infielder Patrick Dorrian and left-handed reliever Nick Vespi, could join as well.

How the Orioles handle a younger set of top prospects will be worth watching. Shortstops Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Joey Ortiz ended 2021 in Double-A and could make it to Baltimore at some point in 2021. That’s not the case for 2021 first-round pick Colton Coswer or 2020 fourth-rounder Coby Mayo, but welcoming the two top-10 picks to major league camp could give them some valuable experience.

The most significant inclusion could prove to be Heston Kjerstad. The Orioles made Kjerstad a somewhat surprising selection with the second overall pick in 2020, but the 23-year-old outfielder has yet to play a game for them after developing the heart condition myocarditis after the draft. Despite some setbacks along the way, he’s finally a full-go this spring, and being part of major league camp would show how far he’s come and give him the chance to back up the Orioles’ belief in him.

“I could say that I’m not gonna feel the pressure, I’m not gonna put extra pressure on myself, but at the end the day, I’m gonna think about it,” Kjerstad said Thursday from minor league camp. “I’m gonna want to show everyone you know why I’m here and what I’m supposed to do for this org.”