2026 Profile: Baltimore Orioles

The 2026 Major League Baseball season will begin shortly. At Passion MLB, as we have done for years, we're setting the stage for the season by introducing all 30 teams in Major League Baseball.

Today, the Orioles are on the menu.

2025 Season

Expectations were high for the 2025 Orioles. After all, in 2023 and 2024, the club had managed to make the playoffs after several tough seasons.

The young players had brought the club back among the top teams in MLB.

That said, the lack of pitching resources completely dashed any hopes of seeing the Orioles in the playoffs again. The departure of Corbin Burnes was particularly painful, and the team finished the season with 75 wins.

Several players had a rough season in 2025, which didn't help.

Additions and Departures

Gary Sanchez, Dylan Carlson, Tomoyuki Sugano, Jorge Mateo, and Zach Eflin (who chose to return to the city) are the team's notable free agents this winter.

The club also traded Grayson Rodriguez to acquire Taylor Ward.

Taylor Ward — remember him, the other 30 HR, 100 RBI guy the Orioles got this offseason? — ropes a single off prospect Luis De Leon. Ward's swing decisions have been great so far in camp, and he's been lifting the ball well. pic.twitter.com/8HtO6CJ2pd — Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) February 18, 2026

The club also made another major trade, acquiring the services of Shane Baz. Several young players (and draft picks) left the Baltimore organization.

Andrew Kittredge, Ryan Helsley, Pete Alonso, Blaze Alexander, Chris Bassitt, and Eflin (as mentioned above) are the big names that have joined the roster. Alonso is the addition that has generated the most buzz, of course.

Strengths and Weaknesses
Can we sum this up by saying that the strength will be the offense and the weakness will be on the mound? It's a bit more complex than that because there are also concerns about the team's defense and because some of the pitchers are good. But…

Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo will split time as catcher and DH. The young man (who signed a long-term deal a few days after arriving in town) is putting pressure on the older one, naturally.

And otherwise?

Pete Alonso, Jackson Holliday (when he's healthy), Coby Mayo, Ryan Mountcastle, Joran Westburg, Blaze Alexander, Gunnar Henderson, Taylor Ward, Colton Cowser, Tyler O'Neill, and Leody Taveras: the group of hitters is incredible.

Mike Elias knew what he was getting in Pete Alonso, the power hitter. But during a heated spring training exhibition on Tuesday, Alonso the leader emerged in real time. The eighth-year veteran called his own mound visit and rallied his #Orioles teammates. “If we want to go far in… pic.twitter.com/uKQhhtL6gg — Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) March 3, 2026

But since the rotation is filled with #3 pitchers (Trevor Rogers is excellent, mind you) and the bullpen will still have to manage without Félix Bautista early in the season… let's just say we have our doubts.

Andrew Kittredge (whose start to the season is in doubt) and Ryan Helsley are solid pieces in the bullpen. Shane Baz and the return of Zach Eflin are good. But will that be enough for the Orioles?

Expectations for the 2026 Season
The team's problem, aside from pitching depth, is that they're in the American League East. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays aren't going to give their opponents an inch.

It's going to be a war.

Winning the division seems unlikely. Can the team hope for a playoff spot via the wild-card race? If all goes well, yes, it's possible.

But in any case, the team is better (on paper) than last year. That's undeniable.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.