Orioles’ prospect-laden lineup

Typically when a club sends a young roster on the road for a spring training game, the home team doesn’t see a very competitive crop of players in the opposing dugout. That wasn’t the case for the Phillies on Tuesday when the Orioles fielded a lineup that included four consensus top 100 prospects as well as Westburg, who was in the top 100 last year, and Norby, who isn’t far off.

“We were joking around saying that it’s the [Triple-A Norfolk] Tides playing the Phillies today,” Holliday said. “It was pretty fun to be out there with all those guys and be able to all be on the same field at the same time together. It’s always fun. We’ve got a good group of guys that came up in the minor leagues together, so it’s a lot of fun. Really fun group.”

Holliday led off followed by Westburg (1-for-4) and outfielder Colton Cowser (2-for-4, RBI). Outfielder Heston Kjerstad went 1-for-3 with an RBI out of the fifth spot, infielder Coby Mayo finished 1-for-4 batting sixth and Norby had an 0-for-2 day out of the No. 8 spot.

That the Orioles can trot out such a lineup while the likes of Adley Rutschman, Henderson, Ryan Mountcastle, Anthony Santander and Austin Hays stay home is a testament to the depth the organization has built in the minor leagues. While the Orioles might have taken the league by surprise with a 101-win

season in 2023, their farm system is stocked deep enough to ensure they’re going to be in the playoff hunt for a while.

“It was fun to watch,” Hyde said after the game. “A lot of young guys out there. A lot of guys who don’t have a whole lot of major league time, or any, and guys we have high hopes for. So, fun to watch them play today.”

Baltimore, which is 10-2 in Grapefruit League play with many of those young players logging significant innings, has yet to make any cuts from the 63-man roster the club brought to camp. Many of these younger players will eventually be sent to the minor league complex, but Holliday is just one of many who have turned heads already.