Baltimore Orioles' Sleeper Prospects to Watch in Spring Training

The countdown to the start of spring training is on.

Pitchers and catchers report to camp for the Baltimore Orioles on February 19, just a few weeks from now. Fans are itching for their first taste of big league action in 2015.

Coming off of a 2014 season in which the team won the American League East and advanced to the American League Championship Series, the Orioles will enter camp with much of their core intact. While the team lost a few big names in Nick Markakis, Nelson Cruz and Andrew Miller this offseason, the sheer talent it still possesses figures to keep it in contention this season.

And because much of that core still remains from last year, most of the lineup and pitching staff is set. There are just a few questions that need to be answered before Opening Day.

A handful of guys will be competing for a handful of spots through March, looking to make the decision for manager Buck Showalter (pictured) a tough one leading up to the start of the regular season.

A few players have the potential to stand out and make an impact on the team at the start of the regular season or sometime in the middle of the summer. Let's take a look at some of the more interesting, lesser-known names that could potentially open some eyes this spring.

Chris Parmelee, First Baseman/Outfielder

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Earlier in the week, the O's signed former first-round draft pick Chris Parmelee to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. OK, he isn't really a prospect, but his potential to benefit the Orioles is what lands him on this list.

As the 20th overall pick of the Minnesota Twins in the 2006 draft, Parmelee never quite lived up to his billing, but he still adds some quality depth to the O's system, as he's a guy the team can call upon to fill a role should another player struggle or go down due to injury.

He's a left-handed bat who can play first base and the corner outfield spots, so he definitely fills a need. His career .249 batting average and .317 OBP aren't fantastic; however, his home and away splits are a little more promising.

Target Field, the home ballpark of the Twins, isn't exactly known as a hitter-friendly ballpark, and Parmelee apparently hasn't enjoyed hitting there throughout his career. He owns a career .234 BA with a .303 OBP at home and a much better .264 BA with a .332 OBP on the road, and in 21 at-bats at Camden Yards, Parmelee has tallied a .333 BA and .375 OBP.

Parmelee is certainly worth watching this spring, and even if he has a strong exhibition season and still winds up in the minors, it's very possible that fans see him playing for the O's sometime this season. Plus, he'll be just 27 years old in February, meaning it's possible that he could still improve as his "prime years" approach.

Jason Garcia, Pitcher

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Right-hander Jason Garcia is an interesting player going into spring training.

Taken in the Rule 5 draft in December, Garcia is just 22 years of age and coming off of Tommy John surgery.

On the flip side, Garcia hit 100 mph with his fastball in instructional league, showing he's healthy and able to go with no holding back come February.

Garcia is capable of starting, and if he did, his pitch speed would likely drop some. His best chance of making the O's 25-man roster is as a reliever due to the team's surplus of quality starting pitchers.

Given Garcia's Rule 5 pick status, he is literally in a make-or-break situation. If the O's don't deem that Garcia is one of the 25 best guys to head with the team to Tampa Bay for Opening Day, Garcia will have to be offered back to the team he was drafted from, the Boston Red Sox.

If he impresses in camp, expect to see him break camp with the club.

Christian Walker, First Baseman

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Christian Walker got his first taste of MLB action last September, smacking his first career major league home run.

Between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk in 2014, Walker excelled, batting .288 with a .357 OBP, 25 doubles, 26 homers and 96 RBI in 532 at-bats.

Obviously, the O's currently have Chris Davis penciled in as their regular first baseman, and Steve Pearce figures to get some starts there as well as in the outfield and at designated hitter. And even with a strong spring, Walker likely wouldn't break camp with the team unless one of those guys got injured.

However, it would definitely be smart to keep tabs on the young first baseman, as he could force the hand of the O's front office and make his way to the majors sooner rather than later if he keeps hitting the way he did in 2014. Where there's a strong bat, there's a way to fit that bat into the big league lineup.

Don't be shocked if you see Walker become something of a regular for the Birds this summer.

Dylan Bundy, Starting Pitcher

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Almost every Orioles fan knows Dylan Bundy's name, so he's not exactly an under-the-radar type entering this season.

What makes him a "sleeper prospect" is that he's coming off of injury, and while the team is still very high on him as a prospect, there isn't much that's expected of him to start off the season other than getting his starts in and continuing to rehab and improve.

Bundy had to undergo Tommy John surgery in June 2013, and while he was improving in his rehab starts in the second half of last season, he injured himself yet again, suffering a right lat strain while doing some running in the outfield. The latter injury was a minor one, and Bundy is good to go come this spring, as he recovered in time to have a healthy offseason.

The O's won't push their young pitcher too hard, and he is almost guaranteed to start the season in the minor leagues. But if he has success in the minors and the team has starters at the big league level who are struggling or getting hurt, Bundy will likely be one of the first pitchers called upon.

Otherwise, the team will probably bring him along slowly. But 2015 could be the year O's fans finally see Bundy and Kevin Gausman in the same big league rotation.

Dariel Alvarez, Outfielder

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Many people in the Orioles organization are excited about the potential of outfielder Dariel Alvarez.

At the plate, Alvarez is a strong hitter, batting .306 in 2014 with a .330 OBP, 37 doubles, 15 homers and 87 RBI in 532 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A. In the field, Alvarez possesses skills that have scouts raving as well as arguably the best arm in the entire Orioles organization.

The one thing Alvarez will need to improve upon is his patience at the plate, as he worked just 21 walks last season. When your batting average is sitting at .306, your OBP definitely needs to be more than just 24 points higher.

Earlier in the offseason, it was looking more and more like Alvarez would have a shot at breaking camp with the Birds if he had a strong spring, especially since the team didn't add a major league-caliber outfielder for a while after losing both Markakis and Cruz. However, with the additions of Parmelee and Travis Snider, Alvarez was bumped down on the depth chart.

That's probably a good thing, though, as it allows Alvarez time to become a more patient hitter in the minors and ultimately help his development. He'll play the 2015 season at 26 years of age, so he could be ready to make the jump to the majors at any moment.

A strong spring will help speed up that process, even with the O's surplus of outfielders. If someone struggles, Alvarez could very well be the first name up from the minor leagues.