This story was excerpted from Jake Rill's Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
DENVER -- Creed Willems arrived in the big leagues earlier this week -- well, sort of.
The Orioles brought Willems (the club’s No. 28 prospect per MLB Pipeline) to Denver for the club’s three-game series vs. the Rockies at Coors Field that started Monday and concluded Wednesday. Baltimore often carries a catcher on its taxi squad, and this time, it was the 23-year-old’s turn.
However, it wasn’t because the O’s needed extra catching depth. After all, Samuel Basallo, Carlos Narváez and Yohel Pozo are all on the team’s 28-man active roster.
This was solely a learning experience for Willems, who has played 98 games at Triple-A Norfolk this season and is trying to put himself in position for a future big-league callup.
“It’s something I’m a strong believer in. We’ve had a lot of taxi catchers come up, Triple-A guys. He was the only one that hasn’t come up. And he’s also the only guy that hasn’t had big league experience,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “So, to get him up here, just to observe the big league life and the day-to-day [routine] as a catcher, it’s a low-risk way for Creed to sit in on the meetings, talk with the catchers, talk with the pitchers, talk with [pitching strategy coach Ryan] Klimek and [pitching coach Drew French], talk with [bench coach] Donnie [Ecker], myself.
“Just a learning environment for him, so when that opportunity does happen for Creed and he does make his debut -- whenever that is -- he’s not drinking out of a fire hose. He still will be, but it lessens that a little bit where he kind of understands the day-to-day of a catcher."
It wasn’t a completely new experience for Willems. The 2021 eighth-round Draft pick was in big league camp during Spring Training earlier this year, so he already had relationships with some Orioles players and coaches from that time.
But this was the first time Willems had been in an MLB clubhouse during the regular season.
“There’s a lot less people here, so I feel like you’re really able to kind of dive into more conversations with it,” Willems said. “I felt like it can get a little bit easier to talk and a little bit more personal at that point.”
Willems got the complete experience. He attended pregame meetings, went out to the field for workouts and even warmed up pitchers before innings if the O’s catcher needed to put on his gear after hitting in the previous half-inning.
It wasn’t hard to miss Willems because of his curly, long brown hair and large personality. He also showed off his football long-snapping skills before Wednesday’s game, taking the team’s pigskin and sending a few long snaps to field coordinator/catching coach Joe Singley. (Willems was a long snapper and defensive lineman during his time at Aledo High School in Texas.)
The conversations were easily the most beneficial part of the three-day stint.
“Just trying to kind of learn how these other guys who have been up here go about their business, whether it’s talking to the other catchers or talking to pitchers about how they like to approach it and what they want from their catcher,” Willems said. “Just trying to learn from that.”
Willems had never played at Triple-A before this season, but he’s having a strong first showing at the highest level of the Minors. The left-handed hitter is batting .250 with four doubles, 16 home runs, 55 RBIs and a .750 OPS.
But Willems feels the area in which he’s made the most positive strides is his work behind the plate, especially when it comes to game-planning with the starting pitchers.
“Really just trying to do my homework, and whenever it comes time for meetings, just being prepared and being able to put in some valuable information for the pitchers,” Willems said. “I feel like that just kind of allows them to have some weight off of their shoulders if I’ve done my homework. Really just been trying to focus on that.”
For now, Willems will return to Norfolk and continue his season with the Tides. But at some point -- potentially in 2027 -- his time will come to arrive in the big leagues for real.
“I feel like whenever the time comes, it’s go time,” Willems said. “But just trying to focus on where my feet are and trying to be present there and not trying to get ahead of myself.”
But Willems feels the area in which he’s made the most positive strides is his work behind the plate, especially when it comes to game-planning with the starting pitchers.
“Really just trying to do my homework, and whenever it comes time for meetings, just being prepared and being able to put in some valuable information for the pitchers,” Willems said. “I feel like that just kind of allows them to have some weight off of their shoulders if I’ve done my homework. Really just been trying to focus on that.”
For now, Willems will return to Norfolk and continue his season with the Tides. But at some point -- potentially in 2027 -- his time will come to arrive in the big leagues for real.
“I feel like whenever the time comes, it’s go time,” Willems said. “But just trying to focus on where my feet are and trying to be present there and not trying to get ahead of myself.”