03-24-2024 MLB Preview - Flipbook - Page 11
MLB ’24
Sunday, March 24, 2024 11
SEASON PREVIEW
Orioles outfielder Kyle Stowers, left, and pitcher Chayce McDermott could be key pieces for the Orioles this season. KENNETH K. LAM/STAFF PHOTOS
Impact
from Page 10
ing .290/.359/.483 with 21 home runs and
10 stolen bases would be a strong candidate for a starting job the following spring.
That’s not the case for Connor Norby, who
is seemingly blocked at every position even
after learning to play corner outfield in
recent seasons.
Despite no clear path right now, Baltimore’s 2021 second-round pick can hit. His
bat should be enough to land an opportunity with the Orioles’ big league club at
some point this season. Yet if the logjam
persists, Norby could still make a sizable
impact for them another way: as a trade
chip at the deadline.
Outfielder Kyle Stowers
The 2023 season couldn’t have gone
worse for Kyle Stowers. After making the
opening day roster out of camp, Stowers struggled mightily out of the gate and
appeared in just 14 games before being sent
down to Triple-A. He battled several injuries, including a fractured nose when he
was hit in the face by a pitch.
However, Stowers has made a strong
case in early spring to land back on the
MLB roster once again as the Orioles’
fourth outfielder. The knock on him over
the past two years has been his ability to
hit against left-handed pitchers, but so far
this spring he’s taken three of them deep.
If the Orioles send one or both of Colton
Cowser and Heston Kjerstad to Norfolk to
get everyday at-bats, Stowers could get a
second chance to stick in Baltimore.
Right-hander
Albert Suárez
A 34-year-old journeyman who hasn’t
pitched in the majors since 2017, Albert
Suárez joined the Orioles on a minor league
deal last fall after pitching in Asia for four
years. The Orioles showed Suárez some
changes to his mechanics and they’ve
resulted in a fastball that now regularly
touches 97 mph, faster than he’s ever
thrown in his career.
Suárez is building up his arm for a
starter’s workload this season, giving the
Orioles a new depth option with major
league experience for the rotation. Another
player expected to begin the year in
Triple-A, Suárez is hoping to be the latest
Orioles pitcher to unlock a new iteration
of himself under the guidance of the club’s
coaching staff.