An Orioles fan can dare to dream big after watching Tyler O’Neill, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman (twice) and Cedric Mullins (twice) launch homers in a 12-2 win.
There were a smattering of boos for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” although it was more tame than during the national anthem at the 4 Nations hockey tournament last month.
It’ll be the first opening day for five players — Cade Povich, Tomoyuki Sugano, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad and Albert Suárez. Here’s the full 26-man crew.
It feels worthless to write off this entire season as prologue and declare that all we’ll really be measuring the Orioles on is whether they fare better in the playoffs than they have the last two years.
“Let’s put it this way: They’re not sneaking up on anybody," former Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "They’re going to get everybody’s best shot. They’re not the little engine that could.”
They are some combination of overlooked and undervalued, but they’re reliable and now experienced contributors to a team that has perennial playoff aspirations.