With the Orioles opening the 2026 campaign against Minnesota at Camden Yards on Thursday afternoon, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Craig Albernaz’s “Day One” motto sounds good. To accomplish something special one day, flip those words and get to work now. After the last two seasons, this club getting off to a fast start is absolutely critical for its psyche. The schedule sets up to have a strong beginning too.
2. Pete Alonso and Chris Bassitt need to perform on the diamond, of course, but the veteran presence they’ve shown in the spring is what this club very much needed. Though it’s easy to be optimistic in March, Albernaz and Mike Elias have to like what they’ve seen on that front.
3. As simple as it sounds, Gunnar Henderson and Alonso need to be the “Cal and Eddie” for this year’s Orioles. There are plenty of good candidates to help make this one of baseball’s best lineups if those two are the best version of themselves. They must lead the way.
4. That’s not to suggest Adley Rutschman rebounding isn’t important as Baltimore can’t afford to have him sidelined for two-plus months again. At the very least, he needs to stay healthy behind the plate to handle this pitching staff. However, it’d sure be nice to see that .370 on-base percentage return.
5. Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, and Shane Baz provide the ceiling while Bassitt and Zach Eflin — and eventually Dean Kremer — raise the floor for a starting rotation looking quite promising on paper. That’s not even considering a couple Triple-A names who could join the conversation later this summer.
From @BaltimoreLuke: Four players pivotal to the success of this year's Orioles https://t.co/S8MDyjEFgs
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6. I was uneasy about this bullpen even before spring injuries to Andrew Kittredge and Keegan Akin, so how Baltimore bridges the gap to Ryan Helsley early on will be interesting. A diamond in the rough emerging is one thing, but the Orioles may need a few of those this season.
7. One of the biggest ways Albernaz and his staff can make their mark is by improving the defense. This roster has too much athleticism to be as poor as it was defensively last year. Infield coach Miguel Cairo helping Coby Mayo play adequate defense at third would be a start.
8. Unlike broken hamates for Francisco Lindor and Corbin Carroll, Jackson Holliday fractured his throwing hand, which helps explain his slower return. That said, it’d be surprising if he isn’t back by mid-April. Of course, the same isn’t true for Jordan Westburg with Elias confirming his absence will extend into May.
9. After the Orioles maintained the 2026 rookie eligibility for Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers last summer, how their roles evolve should be interesting. Basallo becoming the everyday designated hitter — when he’s not catching, of course — and Beavers emerging to lead off against right-handed starters would be welcome developments.
10. Given the murky status of Westburg and the questions about Mayo, Blaze Alexander being a rock-solid utility man feels like a must to solidify this infield. As we saw with Ramon Laureano last year, it’s not always the highest-profile acquisitions that end up being the best ones.
11. Injuries have already compromised the infield and the bullpen to open the season, which isn’t the way the Orioles wanted to turn the page from a 2025 stricken by injuries from start to finish. The silver lining is the current health of the rotation, which prompted Kremer’s demotion.
12. The Orioles winning the AL East or finishing fourth wouldn’t surprise, but three division foes made last year’s postseason. The bullpen keeps me from picking Baltimore for first place, but a 90-72 second-place finish behind Toronto will be good enough to make the playoffs — and roll the dice in October.
