As hard as it may seem, given the freezing weather gripping the Baltimore region, spring has arrived. Spring training, that is.

Orioles pitchers and catchers arrive in Sarasota, Florida, this week as preseason training begins. Many of the position players will make their way to Florida as well, eager to put a 2025 stumble behind them.

Baltimore regressed following two postseason berths, missing out on October baseball last year. The slow start to the season prompted the firing of manager Brandon Hyde. While most of the Orioles’ core players are returning, there are ample new faces on the coaching staff and in the clubhouse.

The first spring training game arrives Feb. 20 at Ed Smith Stadium, and fans can watch that one against the New York Yankees on MASN (along with 19 other exhibition games this spring).

In the meantime, in case some fans slumbered through a busy winter of Orioles news, here’s a guide to bring everyone up to speed.

The new staff

Baltimore handed the reins to Craig Albernaz, a first-time manager, with the hopes his player development history and gregarious personality combine to rekindle the spark the Orioles lit at the beginning of their championship window.

Albernaz, 43, arrives from the Cleveland Guardians, with whom he served as associate manager under Stephen Vogt. Since arriving, Albernaz has laid out a vision for accountability from players and staff, coupled with an authenticity he says is imperative to fostering trust from his players. Albernaz speaks of the importance of fundamental baseball, and he helped convince first baseman Pete Alonso to join Baltimore.

Among the new hires, Baltimore brought in bench coach Donnie Ecker and hitting coach Dustin Lind. Lind’s ideas shaped some of the Orioles’ perspective on hitting, long before he actually arrived. The pitching coaches, however, have remained the same, with Drew French leading that department.

The new players

Alonso is the most notable addition. He signed a five-year, $155 million deal that should elevate Baltimore’s lineup and proves ownership’s willingness to spend. Alonso brings major thump to the batting order. The 31-year-old has slugged 34 or more home runs in each of his last five seasons, and last year he posted a .272 average and .871 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, showing he’s more than a pure power hitter.

Alonso also brings a veteran presence and an understanding of what it takes to reach the postseason. The five-time All-Star was part of the New York Mets’ run to the National League Championship Series in 2024. Alonso said he felt Baltimore checked his boxes.

“I’ve played on a couple winning teams, and, yes, you need talent, you need especially some young guys and a mix of veterans, and you need commitment from top to bottom,” Alonso said. “For me, there was no hesitation at all. It was like, ‘Yep, that’s the team. Yep, these are the people. Yep, Baltimore’s it.’ I remember texting my wife, ‘This is going to be the place for us. This is the place that really wants us. And this team, this organization, this is going to be it.’”

The Orioles bolstered other parts of their roster, although they have yet to acquire a top-end starting pitcher. Baltimore brought back right-hander Zach Eflin and traded for right-hander Shane Baz, and both are expected to be in a rotation competition that includes Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, Cade Povich, Brandon Young and Tyler Wells.

With right-hander Félix Bautista recovering from shoulder surgery, president of baseball operations Mike Elias signed right-hander Ryan Helsley to serve as the closer. Elias also traded for right-hander Andrew Kittredge, reuniting with a reliever who could pitch in late-game situations.

One of the more stunning moves this winter came when Elias traded right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for left fielder Taylor Ward. The 32-year-old is a power threat from the right side of the plate, having launched 36 long balls in 2025.

Elias also traded for utilityman Blaze Alexander and signed center fielder Leody Taveras, two depth pieces who should make the bench.

The bounce-back candidates

It all starts with Adley Rutschman. The catcher has struggled at the plate for the last season and a half. In 2025, Rutschman finished with a .220 average and .673 OPS — both career lows — as he dealt with two oblique strains that forced him to miss time.

Rutschman’s defense is a vital part of Baltimore’s equation, especially with how he commands a pitching staff. But Rutschman’s bat is equally important.

Rutschman produced an OPS over .800 in each of his first two seasons. Then it dropped to .709 in 2024 and fell again last year.

Of course, Rutschman is just one of several players in need of a rebound.

Outfielder Colton Cowser, who’s expected to take the majority of time in center field, played through two rib fractures and ended the year with a .196 average and .655 OPS — down from .242 and .768 in 2024.

Next to Cowser, outfielder Tyler O’Neill’s first priority will be staying on the field. Injury issues limited O’Neill to 54 games. When healthy, O’Neill struggled, recording a .199 average and .684 OPS.

And the list continues with second baseman Jackson Holliday, who only recently turned 22. Holliday has faced sky-high expectations as the former No. 1 overall pick and son of a seven-time All-Star, and he has shown progress toward becoming an everyday player. But Holliday scuffled against left-handed pitching, with a .572 OPS in those matchups.

Even mild improvement from these players and others could elevate the Orioles’ offense back near the top of the league.

The MVP contender

Gunnar Henderson will readily admit he’s a bounce-back candidate as well, given the way he played last year. His OPS dropped by more than 100 points between 2024 and 2025. And yet Henderson still managed a .274 average and .787 OPS while dealing with a shoulder impingement that impacted his swing.

This winter, one of Henderson’s major areas of focus was speed training. He aims to make himself a threat on the bases and in the field, and Henderson already showcased that ability by swiping 30 bags last year.

The shortstop can cement himself as one of the best players in baseball once again. According to FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projections, Henderson is anticipated to produce the sixth-most wins above replacement among batters (6). The players ahead of him on that projection model are Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Cal Raleigh, Shohei Ohtani (only as a hitter, not when factoring in his pitching) and Juan Soto. That’s good company.

The projected 26-man roster, version 1.0

There are multiple projections of the opening day roster to come, and the roster may not be finalized as Baltimore still looks to add pitching. But here’s the first attempt at predicting the future.

Pitchers (13)

Starters (5): Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz, Dean Kremer, Zach Eflin

Relievers (8): Ryan Helsley, Andrew Kittredge, Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano, Dietrich Enns, Tyler Wells, Rico Garcia, Colin Selby

Explanation: The likes of Chayce McDermott, Povich and Young still have minor league options. They would be the first to receive a call-up, but they may not break camp with the team because they won’t require a pass through waivers to reach the minors. Albert Suárez is another candidate, but he returned on a minor league deal, so he can begin there too. Colin Selby, meanwhile, is out of minor league options. If he doesn’t make the opening day roster, he would be exposed to the rest of the league.

Position players (13)

Catchers (2): Adley Rutschman, Samuel Basallo

Infielders (6): Pete Alonso, Ryan Mountcastle, Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Blaze Alexander

Outfielders (5): Colton Cowser, Taylor Ward, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers, Leody Taveras

Explanation: Alexander fits the backup utility infielder role better from a defensive perspective than Jeremiah Jackson (and Jackson has minor league options). Keeping Taveras ensures there’s a natural center fielder on the roster behind Cowser, and Coby Mayo is left off because he also has one more minor league option year and there realistically isn’t room for three first basemen on the roster.