What will a whole month of Orioles' prospects standing out in spring training actually mean?

For all but a handful of prospects in Orioles camp, there's simply no obvious way onto the roster. That hasn't stopped many from starting games strong.

The early takeaway from following the first few games of Orioles spring training from Baltimore, via beat reports and box scores, is singular and significant: this is going to be weird.

By virtue of years of picking atop the draft and the combined impact of their overall talent level increasing and their player development staff meaningfully improving players at every opportunity, the depth contingent of the Orioles’ camp roster — the bus riders, gray-pants warriors, and late-inning replacements, — all double as top prospects.

In many cases, there’s much more excitement for these players than there is for the players currently projected to play in their positions on Opening Day on the big league roster. And because many of these players have done nothing but hit throughout their minor league careers, it’s fair to assume they’ll continue to do so in spring training.

So, considering the realities of jobs available and the Orioles’ overall approach to slow-playing their prospects once they get to Triple-A, what are we supposed to make of a whole month of this still to come?