Starting 9: What to look for in Orioles spring training

As soon as the Orioles ended last season with Robert Andino’s memorable walk-off hit in the final regular-season game, sealing a win over the Boston Red Sox that gave Baltimore its own little taste of late-season excitement, the countdown to Saturday commenced.

Orioles pitchers and catchers will report to the club’s complex in Sarasota, Fla., marking the official beginning of spring training — and the flowing optimism that accompanies any baseball season’s birth.

No one will care about Grapefruit League records once Opening Day arrives April 6, but these Orioles have plenty to solve between now and then. In trying to turn around the misfortune of 14 straight losing seasons, the Orioles will lean on the individual performances that emerge over the next six weeks.

And in looking forward to this critical foundation-forming time, we take a look at our proverbial starting nine — the nine things we want to see from these Orioles this spring training.

— Eduardo A. Encina