After a disappointing 2025 campaign, the Baltimore Orioles enter the new season with more questions than answers. Touted as a team with a promising core of young talent only a few short years ago, the O’s saw their season record drop to six games below .500 last year. Let’s take a look at a couple things that will need to happen for the team to regain its place among the contenders in the ever-demanding AL East in 2026.
First and foremost, the Orioles will need to stay off the injured list. While this applies to the entire roster, the pitching staff in particular must remain relatively healthy for a shot at being competitive. Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells pitched in 10 games combined last season, and both have the ability to stabilize a rotation in desperate need of hurlers who can deliver quality starts consistently.
Trevor Rogers, a bright spot from 2025, and newly-signed starter Chris Bassitt will also hopefully contribute to what has the potential to be a solid rotation. Blown elbows and season-ending injuries, however, won’t get the job done.
The 2025 Orioles featured exactly zero players who hit 20 or more home runs. That’s a problem when your team average is .235 on the season. The power bat of Pete Alsonso is a welcome addition to the roster, which comes with the opportunity to give a much-needed boost to a sluggish offense. Ideally, he could provide the sort of pop the Orioles lost with the departure of Anthony Santander after 2024.
While one place in the order won’t necessarily transform an entire lineup, his veteran presence and steady power could certainly help the Birds return to their winning ways. If players like Rutschman and Cowser can regain their form at the dish, this is a team that can make a rebound from last year.
The 2026 Orioles are at a crossroads. A few short years ago, most pundits would have probably picked the O’s as the team to beat in the AL East. What should be a talented roster on paper will now need to prove that it can find the formula that led to success in 2023 and 2024. Provided the team can stay healthy, particularly the pitchers, and that Alonso and others can help reignite the offense, the Orioles have a chance to make up for lost time. Another season of mediocrity, however, will only add to the sense that the Baltimore Orioles have let their chance slip away.
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