Paulo Orlando hoping to represent Brazil in Royals’ Opening Day starting lineup
Paulo Orlando’s major-league experience is one part unique and one part typical. What’s unique about the Royals outfielder is that he is one of only four Brazilian-born players to suit up in the majors. What Orlando shares with virtually every player on MLB spring-training fields is that he’s fighting for a starting spot.
After a disappointing season last year that was riddled with injuries, including a fractured shin, Orlando is attempting to get back to his 2016 form and seize one of Kansas City’s starting outfield spots.
One of the faster outfielders in Major League Baseball, Orlando ran track for the Brazilian Youth Olympic team while he was growing up. When he first broke into the majors with the Chicago White Sox in 2005, he was named the fastest player in the organization his first two seasons. The speed and durability he shows in this year’s Cactus League could determine whether or not Orlando makes the Opening Day starting lineup.
“If I’m healthy, I can help the team and help the team wins games, so I just try to be healthy this year and see how I can do it,” Orlando said.
Orlando, 32, will be fighting for a starting spot in an open outfielder competition that manager Ned Yost in the past generally has filled with a strong defensive player. With stalwart left fielder Alex Gordon also prepared to make a few starts in center field this spring, Orlando will have to make the most of his opportunities.
So what does Yost see that could help Orlando seize one of the three outfield spots?
“His ability to put the ball in play,” Yost said. “His ability to hit the ball the other way, especially with two strikes. He’s got a good two-strike approach. His foot speed helps him a lot. His defensive ability helps him.”
Just three years ago, when he was 29, Orlando made his MLB debut as only the third Brazilian-born player in MLB history.
All he did during that season was set an MLB record for fewest games to get to five triples to open a career (seven games) and contribute to the 2015 World Series championship team. Orlando became the first Brazilian to ever win a World Series.
A career .274 batter, Orlando will be trying to start the year off better than he did in 2017. After opening last season as the team’s starting right fielder, Orlando hit just .169 during the Royals first 16 games. After fracturing his shin in late May, he had rehab stints with Class AA Northwest Arkansas and Class AAA Omaha, posting a .317 batting average and 22 RBIs in only 42 games.
Teammate and close friend Cheslor Cuthbert still believes that Orlando has a lot of baseball left in the tank and will be a factor for the team this season.
“I think he can do everything,” Cuthbert said. “He can hit, he’s really fast in the outfield, he can make a lot of plays, he can run really fast. So I think he’s got a lot of talent.”
Before Yan Gomes’ debut in 2012, there were no professional baseball players from Brazil in MLB history. Because of this, Orlando did not have many role models to look up to when he was a teenager playing baseball. Instead, he had an affinity for the sluggers that had taken over MLB in the early 2000’s.
“Manny Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey,” Orlando said. “I wanted to be an outfielder like Ken Griffey.”
Entering his fourth MLB season, Orlando will look to replicate his 2016 season while continuing to be a role model for young Brazilian baseball players back home.
“I feel great for being in the big leagues the last couple of years,” he said. “It’s more motivation for the young players back in Brazil.”
This story was originally published March 1, 2018 at 8:49 PM with the headline "Paulo Orlando hoping to represent Brazil in Royals’ Opening Day starting lineup."