For all of the Orioles’ efforts to stabilize their rotation this offseason, few of the veteran starting pitchers they signed this winter and spring were expected to provide much long-term upside.
Kohl Stewart was an exception. The fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft never reached the heights associated with such a high pick with the Minnesota Twins and came to the Orioles this offseason representing this progressive pitching program’s first chance at a reclamation project.
The level of enthusiasm surrounding his exhibition start Tuesday against the World Series champion Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, and the way manager Brandon Hyde discusses what Stewart can bring, show that there’s promise in the 25-year-old for the Orioles to unlock.