With Orioles pitchers and catchers officially reporting to Sarasota for the start of spring training, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Mike Elias was on his way to earning an A for the offseason before New Year’s, but that aggressive early-winter activity needed an exclamation point. The starting rotation and bullpen still carry too much of that “hoping everything goes right” vibe that’s gotten Baltimore in trouble in the past.
2. That said, Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, and newcomer Shane Baz carry the kind of upside that evaporated from last year’s rotation the moment Grayson Rodriguez was shut down. Even without that coveted front-line addition, the starting pitching is in better shape, especially if Zach Eflin’s on track for Opening Day.
3. The bullpen ranked 25th in ERA before last year’s deadline sell-off and was slightly better playing out the string. That said, Ryan Helsley and Andrew Kittredge only go so far for high leverage. This bullpen has been a legitimate concern since Felix Bautista’s 2023 elbow injury, and it still is.
4. Pairing Pete Alonso with a healthy Gunnar Henderson gives the Orioles the kind of 1-2 punch you’d take against just about any in baseball. After all the talk about this club’s leadership last year, Alonso is a breath of fresh air, regardless of how much that oxygen cost.
5. The roster makeup doesn’t inspire confidence in the Orioles being a great defensive club. However, you’d hope a new coaching staff emphasizing improved fundamentals will lead to a higher defensive floor, especially considering how much the organization lauds the athleticism of its young core.
6. The most pivotal figure to that defense will be Colton Cowser, who’s in line to be the regular center fielder without a strong alternative. He’s athletic enough to be solid there, but holding up physically for six months at a premium position is another story after his injury-plagued 2025.
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7. While projecting Bradish to shatter his career high in innings wouldn’t be realistic, arbitrarily capping workloads lacks meaningful evidence of making a real difference. Yes, use common sense when warranted, but Bradish also reached 91 pitches in his penultimate start in last season’s return and presumably had a normal offseason.
8. Over his first 1,500 plate appearances in the majors, Adley Rutschman was the face of the franchise and establishing himself as arguably baseball’s best catcher. In his last 646 plate appearances, he’s produced a .626 OPS and made multiple trips to the injured list. Will the real Rutschman stand up?
9. How productive and durable Rutschman is will have a significant impact on Samuel Basallo’s usage in his first full year in the majors. You’d expect him to see most of his at-bats as the designated hitter, but that’s not the most ideal setup without a third catcher on the roster.
10. The handling of Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle has been perplexing to say the least, and the trade for utility infielder Blaze Alexander eliminates any practical chance of both being on the roster without a slew of spring injuries. It’s tough to like the bench construction at the moment.
11. Perhaps the early days of spring will provide clues, but I’d feel better about the Orioles’ 2026 chances with some meaningful adjustments made to strength and conditioning. Tyler O’Neill’s injury history was one thing, but a club with youth on its side had far too many soft-tissue ailments last season.
12. The Ravens’ coaching changes have overshadowed Craig Albernaz on the local sports scene, but it was encouraging hearing how highly regarded he was at previous stops. There was much blame to go around for last season, but I’m looking forward to seeing how the new manager makes his mark.
