Orioles Early Stars of Spring Training

As spring training gets under way, here is a look at the standouts from Sarasota as the Orioles prepare for the 2026 season.

Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images

February 26, 2026

Baltimore Orioles spring training is off and running in Sarasota. The team has played six games through the first week of the Grapefruit League, winning three, losing two, and tying one. With a variety of new faces, including manager Craig Albernaz, first baseman Pete Alonso, and the new ABS system, these have been the stars of the first week of baseball in 2026 for the Orioles.

Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso signed a five-year contract worth $155 million in early December, making it the richest contract in organization history by average annual value. The Orioles can expect Alonso to be a mainstay at first base for the duration of his contract, with a much-needed infusion of power into the middle of the lineup. He delivered that on his first game with the organization, launching a home run into the Ed Smith Stadium parking lot behind left field. He followed that up with a second long ball of the spring in his second appearance against the Detroit Tigers. While those have been the only hits for Alonso in his four games this spring, it is exactly what O’s fans were expecting from the Polar Bear.

Trevor Rogers

Trevor Rogers had an impressive breakout season in 2025. Rogers received votes for the Cy Young Award, finishing ninth in voting while delivering career bests in ERA (1.81), WHIP (0.903), WAR (5.5), and strikeout per walk ratio (3.55). So far in Sarasota, he has kept the same dominant streak going. In two starts so far, Rogers has fanned six over five innings pitched, allowing only two hits and no runs. Rogers will be the ace for the staff looking forward, and so far has proven that his dominant 2025 is just the beginning for the former Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021.

Trey Gibson

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Trey Gibson was the organization’s 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and for good reason. He catapulted from High-A Aberdeen all the way to the precipice of the bigs at Triple-A Norfolk by the end of the year. Gibson had a particularly dominant stretch in Double-A Bowie, where over 10 starts, he had a 1.55 ERA, a WHIP of 0.898, and a K/9 of 11.7. So far, Gibson has impressed in Grapefruit League action as a non-roster invitee. In his first appearance so far, Gibson went 3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees, striking out three and allowing only two hits, recording a save in the process. In addition, Gibson only allowed one fly ball, recording five outs via the ground ball. He also only threw 35 pitches in the outing with a strike percentage of nearly 69%.

Coby Mayo and Jeremiah Jackson

With the injuries to both Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday, the Orioles will be using spring training to determine who will start at second and third base to start off the year. With the addition of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward in the offseason, Coby Mayo and Jeremiah Jackson were mentioned in trade talks as their positions from the 2025 season had been filled by big-name veterans. However, Mayo and Jackson now look poised to possibly start Opening Day after all. Mayo and Jackson have played in three games so far this spring, starting at third and second base, respectively, in the absence of Westburg and Holliday. This, coupled with both players’ stupendous finishes to the 2025 season, bodes well for the rest of their 2026 and could leave the Orioles front office with a lot of questions once Westburg and Holliday return from the injured list.

Vance Honeycutt

Vance Honeycutt was drafted with the 22nd pick in the 2024 draft by the Orioles and was touted as one of the most special athletes in the class. In three seasons with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Honeycutt displayed a rare combo of power and speed, blasting 68 home runs and stealing 76 bases. Since turning pro, however, it has not been the same story. Honeycutt struck out 202 times over 114 minor league games across two seasons with only 5 home runs in that span. Spring training in 2026 has been a very different story, though. Honeycutt has 2 home runs in only 3 plate appearances, with the only non-long ball being a walk. He likely won’t make the Opening Day roster, but this is still a very positive sign for the former first-rounder at only 22 years old.

Looking Ahead

The Baltimore Orioles take on the Detroit Tigers at 1:05 PM Thursday at Ed Smith Stadium. Dean Kremer is set to start for Baltimore across from Keider Montero for the Tigers.