SARASOTA, Fla. — The players walked into the first workout of spring training and instantly knew their places.

Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman are two of the best young stars in the league. Heston Kjerstad and Grayson Rodriguez are ready to take major strides. Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser are no longer rookies. On Thursday morning, Cowser’s stress was not over a roster spot but the types of milk he had to try as part of a production for the Orioles’ video crew.

They are no longer the new guys; the “next prospect up” mentality no longer applies. This spring is not about when the young core will make the team but rather how they can become its leaders.

This is their team now. And the Orioles are counting on them to act like it.

“We have some guys in this camp and on our club that had really good starts to their major league careers. I think it’s organic that they are going to take on that role,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “They also have the makeup to do that. … I think there’s guys that are ready to have a little more voice in meetings and in the clubhouse.”

The Orioles added pieces this offseason but didn’t take a major splash. They didn’t feel they needed to, partly because there was no dark cloud hanging over the first day of camp, as there was a year ago when general manager Mike Elias showed up to his media session with an extensive list of injuries. Only one new ailment popped up this offseason — a knee injury that will delay left-hander Trevor Rogers a few weeks — and there were positive updates on returning closer Félix Bautista and infielder Jorge Mateo. Bautista was an almost full participant Thursday, even taking his spot in everyone’s favorite exercise, pitchers’ fielding practice. Mateo took part in conditioning drills as he works his way through his hitting progression.

But, with no new centerpieces, that meant there was no excitement on the first day of camp over the first bullpen session of an ace like Corbin Burnes, just 41-year-old Charlie Morton holding court at the locker reserved for the veteran starter, making constant mentions about how “somehow he’s still playing.”

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill is here and looked just as jacked as advertised during batting practice, but he doesn’t elicit the same response as Anthony Santander, now a Blue Jay, did. The other additions are also veterans — a mixture of pitchers and outfielders who raise the age of the team. And some core members are aging out of being the baby birds. After all, Holliday can now legally drink, while Kjerstad is all of 26 years old.

“You are getting old,” Holliday remarked to his locker mate Thursday morning.

There are new coaches, too, some who might blend in more as players. Robinson Chirinos’ first day as bench coach saw him right beside Rutschman, just like it was 2022 again.

Although none will probably make the team, there is still a group of prospects to watch this spring. Catcher Samuel Basallo, ranked as the 13th-best prospect in the sport by MLB Pipeline, was one of the first to take batting practice. He’s only 20 years old and ended last year in Triple-A.

“I don’t think he’s at the point yet that you want to start talking about timelines,” Elias said. “But, when you’re in Triple-A and if you’re doing well in Triple-A, that’s your timeline right there.”

Coby Mayo, the Orioles’ second-best prospect, and Enrique Bradfield Jr., the organization’s first-round pick in 2023, are locker mates. They grew up together and are trying to take the next steps of their careers together. Mayo made his debut last season but needs to improve at the plate and in the field before being given another chance, while Bradfield is attending his first major league camp.

The full squad isn’t here yet — position players aren’t required to report until Tuesday — but most, including the members of the core, were there Thursday, including a noticeably stronger Holliday. They, and the rest of the clubhouse, understand their position.

Thursday was their first step in proving it.

“It feels really good because I know that they are ready now,” Mateo said. “Seeing what they can do and spending so many years in this organization now, it gives me a lot of enthusiasm going forward.”