It’s never too early to think spring — Orioles announce spring training schedule

BALTIMORE—With the temperature in the mid-90s and still more than a month of regular-season games remaining, it may be hard to think about spring training. However, the Orioles are, and released their 2019 spring training schedule on Wednesday.

The Orioles will open their spring schedule at home on Feb. 23 against Minnesota, and they’ll close it March 25 against the New York Mets. In all, the Orioles play 17 home games at Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium. It’s their 10^th spring training in Sarasota.

Game times haven’t been announced, but there will be three split-squad games — March 1-at New York Yankees and home vs. Tampa Bay; March 9at the Rays and home vs. the Yankees; and March 24 at Philadelphia, home against Pittsburgh.

The Orioles will have four home games against the Twins and two each against their AL East opponents, New York, Boston, Toronto and Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh, which trains at nearby Bradenton, will visit twice, and the Orioles will have home games against the Mets, Tigers and Phillies.

Unlike 2018, there won’t be an overnight trip to Florida’s East Coast. All 16 Orioles road games will be played within 90 minutes of Sarasota.

They’ll play Minnesota in Fort Myers three times, and visit each of their AL East opponents twice. They’ll play the Pirates in Bradenton twice and make two visits to Clearwater to face the Phillies. The Orioles play Detroit at Lakeland once.