Holliday debuts in spring a smooth, more polished 2B

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The way that Jackson Holliday learned second base with the Orioles last Spring Training can best be described as a crash course.

At times, Holliday looked like a shortstop trying to find his footing on the other side of the diamond. He still made some sensational plays -- because he¡¯s an athletic youngster with incredible tools that once made him baseball¡¯s No. 1 prospect -- but his defense at second wasn¡¯t as smooth as a more experienced player.

A year later, the 21-year-old Holliday looks much more like a natural at his new position.

¡°He just had an offseason to get ready for that last year, and it was a lot to learn when you change positions,¡± manager Brandon Hyde said. ¡°To have a full year and another offseason, he feels a lot more comfortable.¡±

That was apparent during Saturday¡¯s Grapefruit League opener, a 10-5 loss to the Pirates at Ed Smith Stadium. Holliday didn¡¯t get any overly challenging tests, but he made plays on all three balls that were hit his way.

¡°A lot more than I got last Spring Training in total,¡± joked Holliday, who rarely had balls hit to him during Grapefruit League action in 2024.

Holliday made a nice read on a first-inning grounder by Darick Hall that had a late bounce before entering the leather. Holliday also cleanly fielded a ball hit by Liover Peguero in the second that first caught a piece of pitcher Albert Su¨¢rez's glove.

During his offseason training at his home in Stillwater, Okla., Holliday took more ground balls than the previous year. He also studied the work of Kolten Wong -- a former teammate of his dad, Matt, who was in O¡¯s camp last spring -- and Blue Jays second baseman Andr¨¦s Gim¨¦nez, a three-time Gold Glover.

As Holliday looks to seize a role as the starting second baseman for Baltimore this year, his defensive focus is on making his play look even more routine.

¡°I think being just crisp and sharp,¡± said Holliday, who made 52 of his 53 starts at second during his 2024 rookie campaign. ¡°I know me personally, watching the league, everything is so clean and direct. So that¡¯s something that I¡¯ve been working on, and obviously, just being as fast as possible on double-play feeds. Just trying to get the ball to [shortstop] Gunnar [Henderson] as quick as possible and let him do his thing.¡±

Su¨¢rez takes new pitch for test drive

Su¨¢rez has been tinkering with a new breaking pitch he¡¯s labeling a slurve. The 35-year-old right-hander is hopeful the offering will be a valuable addition to his arsenal for the 2025 season.

It¡¯s a work in progress, though, as made clear by his first Grapefruit League outing.

¡°It feels good out of hand, but I think it was also an automatic ball for the hitters, so that¡¯s why they weren¡¯t swinging,¡± said Su¨¢rez, who allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings.

Su¨¢rez, who threw only 19 of his 41 pitches for strikes, leaned heavily on his four-seam fastball during his breakout 2024 season, when he threw the heater 50% of the time. He also has a cutter (19.5%) that left him with a changeup (17.2%) and curveball (13.3%) as the only offspeed pitches in his mix. The slurve could be a nice complement if he can get it up to par.

After recording a 3.70 ERA in 32 games (24 starts) last season, Su¨¢rez is a front-runner for an Opening Day roster spot, especially because he¡¯s out of Minor League options. The work is more important than the results as he ramps up during the spring.

Worth noting
? Gary S¨¢nchez and Ram¨®n Laureano got hits in their first plate appearances for the Orioles. S¨¢nchez singled in the second inning, and two batters later, Laureano drove in a run with a single to center field.

Expect to see both on the Opening Day roster -- S¨¢nchez as the backup catcher and Laureano as a right-handed-hitting outfielder off the bench.

? Bryan Baker¡¯s stuff has looked sharp early in camp. The 30-year-old right-hander carried that over from side sessions to game action, working a 1-2-3 fourth. He could be a dark horse to make the roster if a spot opens in Baltimore¡¯s bullpen.

? Emmanuel Rivera hit a two-run homer in the eighth. The 28-year-old corner infielder, who hit .313 in 27 games with the O¡¯s last season, is a non-roster invitee in camp.