With the Orioles concluding a 3-3 season-opening homestand with a series loss to Texas, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Trevor Rogers was the stopper Baltimore needed after dropping the first two games of the series and being in danger of finishing with a losing homestand. He’s picked up right where he left off last season with just two runs allowed over his first two starts covering 13 innings.
2. After scoring two or fewer runs in three of the first five games, the offense came alive to beat up Nathan Eovaldi for six runs, eight hits, and three walks over four-plus innings. Craig Albernaz says he’s mostly been pleased with the at-bat quality, so Wednesday’s return was encouraging.
3. Zach Eflin’s elbow injury was the most disappointing development after he worked so hard to return from back surgery. With much spring discussion about him returning to a higher arm slot, you wonder if his elbow wasn’t quite ready to handle that mechanical change. Pitching is such a brutal craft.
4. After throwing a combined 184 pitches Sunday and Monday, the bullpen crumbled after Eflin’s Tuesday exit and really needed the respite it received Wednesday. The path to consistently bridging the gap to Ryan Helsley begins with the starting rotation needing to be better than it was through the first turn.
5. With so much going wrong in 2025, it was easy to overlook Albert Suarez missing most of the season, but his versatility was a valuable asset for the 2024 club. The 36-year-old was staked to a comfortable lead, but his three solid innings allowed the bullpen to reset for Pittsburgh.
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6. It’s an understatement to say Chris Bassitt wasn’t pleased with his Orioles debut, and he was fortunate to allow only four runs after surrendering six hits, four walks, and a hit by pitch in 4 1/3 innings. Given the 37-year-old’s track record, patience is warranted, but that wasn’t pretty.
7. Taylor Ward isn’t a conventional choice to lead off, but his bat came alive with six hits and a sacrifice fly over the final two games of the Rangers series. I’d like to see Dylan Beavers emerge as a long-term leadoff option, but Albernaz prefers right-handed at-bats around Gunnar Henderson.
8. After headlining the defensive discussion in the spring, Coby Mayo has been very solid at third base so far. The same can’t be said for the outfield defense, which has included throws to the wrong base and some not-so-stellar routes to the ball. That needs to be better.
9. “I’ve never experienced that, where you hit a line drive up the middle and it puts a hole in the batter’s eye.” That was Albernaz describing Samuel Basallo’s home run. He hit a missile like that during Tuesday batting practice that hit the batter’s eye on the fly. Serious power.
10. The Orioles leaving Dean Kremer at Norfolk rather than using the Eflin injury to recall him before 15 days was interesting. Kremer last pitched in a game March 19, so you wonder if him making one Triple-A start was preferred to get him into a better routine before recalling him.
11. Basallo’s challenge of a 1-2 pitch initially ruled a ball brought the first game-ending ABS system overturn in major league history. The Orioles have gone a superb 12-for-14 on challenges compared to the 55% overturn rate across the majors through Wednesday. What a dynamic change it’s been.
12. In assessing the 3-3 start, I’d say very little beyond the Eflin injury has been terribly concerning — that wasn’t already a spring talking point anyway — or overly impressive thus far. Most of what we’ve watched falls into the “let the season breathe” department. And that’s perfectly fine.
