For a rebuilding club that is trying to continue to get younger and eventually win with a group of players they develop on their own, the shortened 2020 season was also short on major league debuts when it came to the Orioles.
A year after eight players appeared in their colors for their first major league game and 13 the year before, just five Orioles did so this year: left fielder Ryan Mountcastle, pitchers Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer and Bruce Zimmermann, and infielder Ramón Urías.
Each, to a man, had some impressive moments. And seeing those players come to the majors and hold their own, even in a limited sample size, “provides some reassurances that we’re making progress as an organization,” executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said.