New O's closer Helsley standing out with stuff, work ethic early in camp

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Félix Bautista stood off to the side of the Orioles’ new agility field at the Ed Smith Stadium complex on Thursday afternoon, his 6-foot-8, 285-pound frame easy to spot while watching pitchers participate in drills. The O’s remain hopeful their All-Star closer -- whose rehab from right shoulder surgery is going well -- could return before the end of this season.

In the meantime, Baltimore’s closer role should be in good hands. Ryan Helsley signed a two-year, $28 million deal on Dec. 1, with the 31-year-old right-hander set to handle save situations for the club.

So far, Helsley is making a positive early impression on his new team (and its new manager) in Spring Training.

“He’s a beast, like physically,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “He works his ass off. It’s very telling when he’s out there playing catch play, he's very intentional with even playing catch. The [pitchers’ fielding practice], I know it’s small, but he’s in there, he’s focused on it. He’s crushing the weight room, getting after it. And he looked great in the live [batting practice].”

Live BP may not be an actual game, but it’s the closest thing to it during the early days of camp. In that sense, Helsley could still be credited with a simulated “save” for his performance on Thursday.

There were no fielders at Ed Smith Stadium, but Helsley likely would have retired all five batters he faced. He struck out both Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Beavers, got Gunnar Henderson to hit an easy grounder, induced a catchable fly ball from Colton Cowser and snagged a popup off the bat of Pete Alonso.

Helsley looked sharp while showcasing an arsenal that primarily features a four-seam fastball and a slider, and he was aggressive in attacking a formidable handful of Orioles hitters.

“It’s always nice to get down to warmer weather and break a sweat a little bit and see guys in the box for the first time in four months,” Helsley said afterward. “Gets the adrenaline rush going and kind of gets you used to moving full speed again.”

This year marks the first time in Helsley’s professional career that his Spring Training isn’t happening in Jupiter, Fla., where the Cardinals hold camp. A 2015 fifth-round Draft pick of St. Louis, Helsley was in the organization until last July, when he was traded to the Mets.

Helsley was among MLB’s best relievers from 2022-24, when he recorded a 1.83 ERA and 82 saves (including a Majors-best 49 in ‘24) over 152 appearances. Last year, he had a 3.00 ERA and 21 saves in 36 games for the Cards, but he did not have as much success after joining the Mets, pitching to a 7.20 ERA in 22 outings while serving in a setup role.

The struggles may have stemmed from pitch-tipping, which Helsley believes was part of his issues. It’s worth noting that he held his glove a bit lower before entering his windup than he did last year on Thursday, as he and the Orioles are looking to get the best out of the righty.

There’s a strong belief that the two-time-All-Star form of Helsley is in there.

“I was telling everyone, being Helsley and guys that play in this league for a long time and perform at a high level, it doesn’t happen by accident,” Albernaz said. “We have to get ready to be ready to go Opening Day, and that’s something with his pedigree and his veteran presence, he knows that.”

Helsley is becoming well-liked by his new teammates, but he’s also encountered some familiar faces. O’Neill was teammates with the righty in St. Louis from 2019-23, while right-hander Andrew Kittredge was in the same Cardinals bullpen as Helsley in ‘24.

Now, Kittredge is expected to be the primary right-handed setup man for Helsley with the Orioles. The two have been carpooling in the early days of camp, they’re locker-mates in the clubhouse and they golfed together after workouts on Thursday.

“We had a really good time in the St. Louis bullpen,” Kittredge said. “He’s great. Just a great teammate, hard worker, no ego. Just honestly the kind of teammate you want. I’ve got nothing but great things to say about him as a teammate and a friend. ... Just excited to get a chance to play with him again.”

Helsley is enjoying the spring environment in Sarasota and believes he’s with a Baltimore squad poised for success in 2026. His focus in the spring is “to figure out how to move fast again" -- which means getting reacclimated to live settings -- while also continuing to get acclimated to his new surroundings.

“When you’re in one spot for a decade, it’s a little different. But I’m excited for the change, and there’s a lot of great personnel here and teammates already,” Helsley said. “I’m excited and look forward to it.”