The Orioles are 9-9 through 18 games. We have seen a 3-6 stretch, an uplifting 6-1 stretch and a wild opening game against Arizona on April 13.
In that last game, skipper Craig Albernaz suffered a fractured jaw after being hit by a foul ball off the bat of Jeremiah Jackson. As Albernaz was being attended to in the clubhouse, his club clawed and powered its way back into a game that eventually became a 9-7 win. The victory seemed to portend a lengthy hot streak.
But then the Orioles let two very winnable games against the Diamondbacks slip out of their grasp. The net result was a 3-3 homestand and a .500 overall record.
The good news is that the Yankees are just 10-8, the Blue Jays 7-10 and the Red Sox 7-11. Nothing has taken place to put the Orioles behind the 8-ball the way the season got away from them by the end of April 2025.
When I went to Sarasota back in early March, I watched the Orioles play five games in person. Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg were already on their way to the injured list. Dean Kremer, Gunnar Henderson and Tyler O’Neill were away at the World Baseball Classic. Andrew Kittredge was also down and still hasn’t made his 2026 big league debut yet.
So when folks would ask me about what I saw from the Orioles in Florida, I kind of shrugged. I said so many players were missing, how can I tell what the team is going to look like?
And now 18 games in, the injuries have been ridiculous, and not in a fun way. Keegan Akin (groin), Dietrich Enns (foot), Ryan Mountcastle (foot), Adley Rutschman (ankle), Holliday (hand, wrist), O’Neill (concussion) and Westburg (elbow) are all on the IL. And unless you have been living under a rock, Zach Eflin’s return to the Orioles ended with Tommy John surgery after 3.2 innings.
Akin had his first rehab outing on April 15. Westburg’s season is in total limbo due to a partially torn UCL in his throwing elbow. Holliday’s simple surgery on a hamate bone has now put the first month of the season at risk. He is taking some time off to try and get his right wrist soreness under control before he takes another run at his rehab.
So what can we actually say about this team?
Albernaz seems to have the goods. Most of what he does and then says makes sense. I don’t scratch my head all that much. OK, I was scratching my head at Weston Wilson getting the start in left field in the series finale against Arizona. That old adage about the ball always finding you rang true. A long fly ball off the bat of Diamondbacks catcher Adrian Del Castillo was run down by Wilson only to watch stunned as he failed to glove the ball, which led to two runs.
Let’s get back to Albernaz. His players seem to have responded to him. He has weathered a couple interesting decisions, most notably the optioning of longtime rotation member Dean Kremer late in spring training. The club also sent down Cade Povich and Brandon Young after each pitcher gave the team a much-needed innings-eating outing.
The initial 3-6 start seemed to be a test, and if that were the case, I think Albernaz passed it. But his club is so riddled with injuries that it is still hard to assess what he really has.
Most notably on the down side, Coby Mayo and Colton Cowser have lost a lot of their super prospect luster. In fact, after the injuries to O’Neill and Rutschman, Albernaz caught Samuel Basallo four straight days, used Dylan Beavers as the DH and played Cowser in right. Cowser clearly lost his inherited center field role. Albernaz is now using Leody Taveras, Dylan Beavers and Blaze Alexander in center.
Mayo has lost playing time to Alexander, and with the way Jeremiah Jackson is hitting (and fielding), Mayo now looks like he could be the odd man out when Holliday eventually makes it back. Part of that decision might be whether the club plans to play both Rutschman and Basallo every day, which may just necessitate a third catcher. In that case, Sam Huff may take Mayo’s spot. Sadly, another reset may be needed for Mayo, who is offering very little right now.
Clearly, the 2026 version of Rutschman is missed. We can only hope this ankle injury isn’t serious.
The starting pitching has been a mixed bag. Trevor Rogers has been about 85 percent of what he was last season. His most recent start against Arizona notwithstanding, he still gives everyone on his side confidence they can win his game.
Shane Baz hasn’t blown me away yet. This was a bold move by Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias, who gave up a lot to acquire Baz and then doubled down by signing him to a $68 million extension. Chris Bassitt has had two rough outings and one passable outing. With an $18.5 million price tag, he figures to get lots of starts. Dean Kremer is back, and despite his mixed results against the Diamondbacks, he did strike out nine. He figures to eat a lot of innings.
Kyle Bradish has not looked himself just yet, but his start against Arizona was probably the closest he has looked to his pre-surgery self. Again, more time is needed to come to a conclusion.
The bullpen has been an interesting ride to date. Most importantly, Ryan Helsley has looked the part of a dominant ninth-inning guy. Old friend Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia, Anthony Nunez and Grant Wolfram have all been outstanding.
Enns didn’t look good prior to going on the IL with a foot infection. Yaramil Hiraldo (60-day IL) was also ineffective. And Tyler Wells, expected to be an important member of this ‘pen, has been like a yo-yo — up and down from appearance to appearance. He’ll be better.
So, to this point, like back in early March, I am not sure what to make of the 2026 Orioles just yet. I need more time to watch and assess.
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