Sarasota baseball fans could have the chance to watch future MLB players

Some baseball fans might not even be aware that they’ll soon have the chance to watch some of the next stars of the game at Twin Lakes Park.

Even casual fans of Major League Baseball will likely recognize some of the names who have played for the Florida Complex League Orioles — the rookie-ball affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles — in Sarasota.

There’s about to be a rare window for fans to watch the next wave of talent come through. 

The 2025 MLB Draft will take place from July 13-14, and it's customary for selected players to get their start in the FCL, like the Orioles.

However, fans have to be quick to get to a game.

Colton Cowser, the No. 5 overall pick by the Orioles in 2021, played with the FCL team for seven games that year. Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick by the Orioles in 2022, played at the FCL level for eight games. Enrique Bradfield, the No. 17 overall pick by the Orioles in 2023, played in Sarasota for just three games.

“You’re seeing tomorrow’s major league players,” FCL Orioles manager Christian Frias said. “We’ve had a number of players come through this league that have already debuted or are close to debuting in the big leagues, not only for our team but other teams as well.”

Photo by Vinnie Portell

It’s no guarantee that top picks will play for the FCL Orioles. Vance Honeycutt, the Orioles’ first-round pick in 2024 (No. 22 overall) skipped the rookie-ball level and went straight to the Single-A Delmarva Shoebirds in Salisbury, Maryland. 

Even if fans miss out, there are advantages to watching this level of baseball that true fans of the game can appreciate.

The FCL Orioles are playing this season at Twin Lakes Park on the fields behind Orioles' Buck O’Neil Complex because of renovations to Ed Smith Stadium this summer. But don’t fret if you think you’re in the wrong place at first.

After receiving directions to the field, I was unsure of where to park my car and how to find the game.

After driving past the complex at the front of the park, visitors will want to park in a lot next to a playground halfway down the road. Then, they’ll want to walk through an open gate across the road until they start to see what resembles MLB jerseys. 

If fans are bold enough to travel out in the middle of the day and the sweltering heat — many FCL games start at noon — it’s worth the effort, and the free parking and admission certainly don’t hurt. 

I attended a game between the FCL Orioles and the FCL Rays and was blown away by professional baseball talent playing in a Little League atmosphere.

Once I got past the shock of the rudimentary setup, it was easy to appreciate the unique qualities it offered that are unavailable at nearly any other minor league or major league game.

Photo by Vinnie Portell

There were fewer than 20 fans in attendance, which allowed those present to listen to all said between coaches and players, aided by the fact the dugout was simply a bench with a roof and no walls located 20 feet away from the bleachers.

Most fans likely aren’t familiar with the players on the field, but there are some diamonds in the rough worth watching. 

Three FCL Orioles players — Stiven Martinez, Jordan Sanchez and Elvin Garcia — are ranked among the organization’s top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline. 

Martinez, the Orioles’ No. 12 ranked prospect, stands above the rest despite being just 17 years old. Coming out of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, he ranks as one of the top 50 international prospects projected as a “run-producing corner outfielder,” according to his scouting report on MLB Pipeline. 

“It’s an exciting level because you can see the raw talent and you see baseball players being molded into what they are into the future,” Frias said. “You see them make huge jumps weekly, and sometimes daily, in how they learn and grow. You live on projections of, ‘Man, this guy is going to be a monster once he gets to be this age.’ Seeing them compete, handle the culture shock and be away from family and friends while trying to be a professional player and make the big leagues is definitely exciting when I get to go home and watch them on TV.”