Shane Baz Brings Fire and Focus to Orioles Camp: “I Think I Can Really Help Here”
SARASOTA - Shane Baz showed up to Orioles camp like a man on a mission. The 24-year-old right-hander, acquired in December from the Rays in a deal that sent four prospects and a draft pick to Tampa Bay, was one of the first pitchers to throw live batting practice Wednesday at Ed Smith Stadium. And from the moment he stepped on the mound, it was clear-Baz wasn’t easing into anything.
“I bounced out of bed. I was ready to go,” Baz said, grinning after his session.
That energy translated into sharp stuff on the mound, and his new teammates took notice-especially first baseman Pete Alonso, who got a front-row seat to Baz’s arsenal.
“He’s got nasty stuff,” Alonso said. “He’s got two different sliders now.”
It’s early in spring, but Baz is already turning heads, not just with his stuff, but with his mindset. He’s not here for headlines or hype. He’s here to compete-and to help turn around a team that finished last in the AL East with a 75-87 record in 2025.
“I don’t care about the accolades, being the ace,” Baz said. “I think I can do a really good job of making my starts and giving us a chance every five days.
I hold myself to a really high standard. I think I can really help here.”
Baz is coming off a season that had its ups and downs. He went 10-12 with a 4.87 ERA over 31 starts for Tampa Bay, but a closer look tells a more nuanced story.
His ERA ballooned at home-5.90 in the Rays’ temporary digs at George M. Steinbrenner Field-while he posted a much more respectable 3.86 ERA on the road.
The Orioles believe there’s more in the tank, and Baz is already diving into the work.
“There’s a couple of things we’re working on that they brought to me this offseason,” Baz said. “It was super helpful to get it early and just be able to work on it at home as well as here.”
He’s also embracing the Orioles’ data-driven approach. The club’s new pitching lab is already paying dividends for a guy who’s hungry to learn.
“I’m the guy who doesn’t mind getting all the little data points,” Baz said. “We can decide as a group what’s important, what we need to look at, maybe what we don’t need to look at as much.”
Manager Craig Albernaz, who previously worked with Baz in the Rays’ minor league system, sees big-time potential.
“Shane Baz’s upside is a Cy Young Award winner,” Albernaz said. “He’s a competitor, and he’s a great worker.”
Albernaz was impressed with Baz’s first session-not just the pitches, but the process.
“You can tell he was very intentful and purposeful in really feeling his delivery,” he said. “Everyone talks about pitch profiles and pitch movement.
The body makes those pitch profiles. You have to start there.
It’s delivery and the ball.”
Baz wasn’t just throwing; he was asking questions, seeking feedback in real time.
“When you get someone that’s new to the organization, sometimes it’s tough for him to ask,” Albernaz said. “With his willingness to ask for feedback, see how things are going, he’s really building a relationship with our pitching coaches.”
Baz isn’t the only new face making noise in Sarasota. Ryan Helsley, expected to anchor the bullpen as the club’s closer, threw his first live BP session Thursday.
The two-time All-Star, who led the majors with 49 saves in 2024, signed a one-year, $14 million deal with a player option for 2027. He’s coming off a rough stretch with the Mets-posting a 7.20 ERA in 22 games-but he’s eager to turn the page.
“I’m excited for the change,” Helsley said. “There’s a lot of great personnel.”
Helsley and Alonso were briefly teammates in New York last season, and the reunion in Baltimore has both players energized. Soon, they’ll be joined by another key addition: veteran starter Chris Bassitt.
“Excited to get to play with Pete again and all the other talented young guys here,” Helsley said. “Excited to have Bassitt here, too.”
The Orioles’ rotation is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing in the league. Baz isn’t shy about how good he thinks it can be.
“I think it can be as good as any rotation in the game,” he said. “I’m not going to put a ceiling on it. The talent is pretty ridiculous.”
Injury Update: Holliday Undergoes Wrist Surgery
Top second base prospect Jackson Holliday underwent surgery Thursday to remove the fractured hook of the hamate bone in his right wrist. The procedure, performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Steven Shin, was deemed successful by the team.
While there’s no official timeline yet, hamate surgeries typically come with a recovery window of 4-6 weeks, depending on the player. For a young hitter like Holliday, getting back to full strength is the priority-but the Orioles remain optimistic about his long-term outlook.
Bottom Line: The Orioles may be coming off a tough season, but with Baz, Helsley, and Bassitt now in the fold-and a clubhouse full of young, hungry talent-there’s a different energy in Sarasota. Baz, in particular, looks like a pitcher with something to prove and all the tools to prove it. If his early work is any indication, Baltimore’s rotation might be ready to turn some heads in 2026.