O's usher in fun-filled Albernaz era: 'Nobody’s safe from the cart'

BALTIMORE -- In the back-right corner of the Orioles’ newly renovated clubhouse at Camden Yards, two words have been painted onto the wall: “Day One.”

The phrase was first uttered by manager Craig Albernaz during Baltimore's first organized team meeting of Spring Training, and there was a purpose behind it.

“You can change two words, it just changes your whole mindset, right?” Albernaz said earlier this week. “It’s one day you want to win the World Series. One day, you want to be Rookie of the Year. One day, MVP. But if you flip those two words -- Day One -- this is Day One of us working toward being a World Series champion. This is Day One of you working toward being an MVP.”

In many ways, Thursday was truly Day One of what Baltimore believes could be a new era of O’s baseball. There was a new jumbo videoboard in center field at Camden Yards, a new superstar at first base (Pete Alonso), a new manager in the dugout and new faces all around.

Perhaps most importantly, a new culture has seemingly been established.

On Day One, the Orioles earned one win -- a 2-1 Opening Day victory over the Twins -- and entertained a sellout crowd of 42,134. Trevor Rogers navigated seven scoreless innings, new utility man Blaze Alexander knocked an RBI single during a two-run rally in the seventh, new closer Ryan Helsley struck out the side in the ninth to earn the save and Albernaz was victorious in his MLB managerial debut.

But Day One was about much more than one win. It was a reset -- proof that Baltimore is choosing to forget about last year’s unexpected 75-87, last-place performance and planning to reopen its window to contend for a World Series championship.

“The ‘Day One’ in the corner over there, I think it’s going to be our mantra every day,” Rogers said. “Alby really set the tone in camp, and I think -- obviously, there’s going to be highs and lows throughout the season. But just the way we battled today, I think we’re going to head in a good direction.”

Moments throughout the day served as examples of why that could be the case.

The renewed energy was palpable from the moment the ballpark gates opened at noon. Fans wanted to see the new videoboard, hear the new sound system and experience all of the festivities accompanying Opening Day, including the orange carpet, of course.

Alonso was front and center of it all. The Polar Bear blew a kiss to the fans before he ran down the ceremonial carpet, and when he stepped to the plate in the first inning, he received a standing ovation that prompted him to tip his helmet to the roaring fans.

“Just for them to embrace me zero at-bats in, just right before that first one, is really special. It’s a dream come true to have that feeling,” said Alonso, who signed a five-year, $155 million deal on Dec. 11. “Honestly, it felt like a movie today. It was such a treat to be a part of.”

Although Alonso finished 0-for-3, his new teammates picked him up. Rogers was stellar, as most have come to expect from the 2025 Most Valuable Oriole. The rally in the seventh began with singles from Samuel Basallo (Baltimore's No. 1 prospect, No. 8 overall) and Tyler O’Neill, and featured a sac fly from Colton Cowser before Alexander’s first O’s hit. Helsley shut the door while pumping triple-digit fastballs.

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But the fun had only begun. Once the win was secured, Albernaz returned to the clubhouse, where reliever Tyler Wells asked him, “How big of a vibes guy are you?”

“I’m like, ‘I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I’m always down for the boys,’” Albernaz said. “Next thing I know, I’m thrown into the laundry cart, going into the shower, getting doused [with beer].”

This new culture established by Albernaz and his coaches will feature plenty of fun.

“Nobody’s safe from the cart,” O’Neill said with a smile. “He took it like a champ.”

“You have to celebrate,” Alonso added. “You have to celebrate firsts. You have to celebrate big moments.”

In all regards, Thursday couldn’t have gone much better for baseball fans in Baltimore. Last year was tough, especially because it was so surprising after back-to-back postseason appearances in 2023 and ‘24.

This year, the ceiling for the Orioles is quite high after an aggressive offseason that brought in players such as Alonso, Alexander, Helsley and others.

“You can tell the front office and ownership, they really want to win this year,” O’Neill said.

The next step is to try to beat the Twins again on Saturday. In reality, the next game could be viewed as Day Two. But not for these O’s, who are committed to following their new leader, continuing to build camaraderie and pushing each other to succeed.

“1-0, man,” Alexander said. “Alby talks about it all the time, man, Day One.

“It’s Day One Saturday.”