For left-handed reliever Nick Raquet, the past week or so has been a whirlwind.
Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on April 7 in exchange for minor league outfielder Brayden Smith, the 6-foot, 215-pound lefty out of William & Mary barely had time to settle in before making his Orioles debut three days later against the San Francisco Giants.
In his first two appearances as an Oriole, Raquet allowed three runs across 1.2 innings. And by April 15, the 30-year-old had been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. While it wasn’t a smooth start statistically in Baltimore, the bigger story for Raquet is everything happening off the field.
“Obviously, I’m pretty new, but it’s a great group of guys,” he said. “They’re pulling for each other, they want to win, they’re playing hard, and they’ve just been very welcoming to me so far.”
That immediate sense of belonging has stood out. Raquet quickly noticed something deeper than routine chemistry with the Orioles, even if it’s still early in the season. That close-knit culture has shown up in small, everyday moments.
Between games, Raquet had been getting to know his new bullpen mates the same way many teams do — casually, competitively, and without forcing it. A recent team purchase of pool gear led to a few relaxed games, long conversations and even some downtime watching the Masters together.
“You can tell the guys are more than just teammates,” he said. “So that’s obviously a big strength in my eyes. I’ve been learning about how they like to get guys out, where they’ve been in baseball and personal stuff like that.”
That’s been helpful in what he admitted has been an unexpectedly chaotic start to the year. The early instability has pushed him to embrace a mindset he’s leaning on heavily now — staying present.
“I’ve got to be where my feet are,” he said. “As much as there might be changes and things that you can’t control, there’s a lot of stuff that I can control, too.”
A “Day One” poster plastered on the opposite end of Raquet’s locker served as a daily reminder to reset daily and avoid looking too far ahead.
That perspective extends beyond his own performance to the expectations surrounding the team. Raquet understands both the scrutiny and the standard that comes with playing in Baltimore, a market filled with passionate fans. He stressed it’s a balance to acknowledge the noise without being consumed by it.
“Fans are passionate, and they expect the most of us because they expect the most of their teams,” Raquet said. “I hope that they all understand that we also expect the most of ourselves, too. We’re not going out there trying to do anything else, but be the best and do the best we can to help the team win.”
For now, Raquet’s role may be in flux. But his outlook isn’t. In a season already full of sudden turns, he chooses consistency — in mindset, preparation, and belief — as the one thing he can carry with him, no matter where he’s pitching next.
“People who are in your corner are going to believe in you,” Raquet said, “but you’ve got to believe in yourself, too.”
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