Summer is approaching, and for one Baltimore Ravens star, that meant trading the football for a baseball (for a night, anyway). Safety Malaki Starks took the mound at Camden Yards on Friday, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the Baltimore Orioles opened their series against the Detroit Tigers.

Wearing the Orioles’ City Connect jersey, the former Georgia Bulldogs standout looked right at home as he stepped into one of sports’ more recognizable traditions.

Throwing out a ceremonial first pitch may seem like a lighthearted crossover moment, but the tradition carries genuine significance. It’s one of baseball’s longstanding customs, one rooted in more than a century of sports history.

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What once served largely as an honor reserved for presidents and distinguished public figures has evolved into one of the more visible pregame recognitions in American sports. For Starks, it also serves as another welcome-to-Baltimore moment, but there’s more to the story.

Malaki Starks joins familiar Ravens company

Starks now joins a list of Ravens figures who’ve shared that same honor over the years, including Hall of Famers Jonathan Ogden and Ed Reed. More recently, head coach Jesse Minter made his own Orioles cameo during Opening Day festivities, taking part in the Bird Bath Splash Zone festivities.

Moments like this may not impact the standings, but they do matter. Starks remains one of Baltimore’s more intriguing young additions as the Ravens continue shaping their new-look defense heading into the 2026 season.

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The first-round pick arrives with enormous expectations after building an impressive resume at Georgia, where he developed a reputation as one of college football’s premier defensive backs. There will be plenty of time for evaluations, training camp battles, and discussions about what role he ultimately plays in Anthony Weaver’s defense.

For now, though, this was simply a fun crossover moment between two Baltimore franchises. It’s also another sign that one of the Ravens’ newest young stars is beginning to settle into his new football home.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens safety Malaki Starks threw out first pitch at an Orioles game