With the Orioles taking two of three from the New York Yankees for their first series win against an opponent currently above .500 all season, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. After being thoroughly embarrassed in the Bronx, the Orioles taking two of three from the Yankees was their most impressive series of 2026 to date. But they must build on that in Washington and show well against first-place Tampa Bay next week to really sell this being an awakening.
2. If you’re ranking what needs to happen for Baltimore to get on a roll, Kyle Bradish looking like Kyle Bradish is high on the list. Six innings of one-hit ball on the heels of a rock-solid seven frames last Friday — with 17 strikeouts over those two outings — fits that description.
3. Though he’s always had a good curveball, Bradish has thrown a career-high percentage of curves over his last two starts. He’s generated 17 whiffs on 29 swings on that pitch over the last two starts — against two quality offenses. That’s ace-caliber stuff one hopes Bradish will sustain.
4. If someone said in March that two excellent starts would lower Bradish’s ERA to 4.21, Trevor Rogers would own a 5.77 ERA, Gunnar Henderson would be hitting .197, and Pete Alonso would have a .734 OPS, a 20-24 start wouldn’t surprise you. The Orioles need their stars to be stars.
5. Meanwhile, Adley Rutschman continues putting the previous two seasons behind him as Wednesday’s homer lifted his slugging percentage to .553. He’s surprisingly walking a career-low 6.3% of the time, but his strikeout rate (14.3%) is also a career low. Rutschman is hitting hard line drives more often than ever.
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6. It’s no secret Coby Mayo works hard at his craft, so the game-winning homer in Monday’s win and the early RBI double in Wednesday’s victory were positives for his confidence. Still, he needs much more of that to justify continuing to play him regularly, especially accounting for his defensive limitations.
7. Nothing about Rogers’ peripheral numbers suggested he’d duplicate his 1.81 ERA from 2025, but that fortune has swung to the opposite extreme. His fastball and changeup haven’t played nearly as effectively, but a 4.13 expected ERA suggests some patience being in order. He needs to adjust like Bradish has done.
8. Considering the injuries, Craig Albernaz has done a commendable job managing the bullpen with a highlight being his deployment of Rico Garcia to face the heart of New York’s order in Monday’s eighth inning. That was the true save in the 3-2 win, and Garcia was again outstanding.
9. Second and third base remain major questions, but Blaze Alexander sparked a two-run third inning with a bunt single as part of a three-hit game on Wednesday. Jeremiah Jackson has the lowest walk rate in the majors (minimum 130 plate appearances) and is 4-for-34 since his April 30 grand slam.
10. Considering Jackson’s recent struggles and a .156 average in 74 plate appearances across a trying minor-league rehab assignment, Jackson Holliday now being tasked with playing some third base makes very little sense to me. Attempts to solve a problem can beget new problems. There’s a human element at work too.
11. Tyler O’Neill drew a pivotal walk in Monday’s comeback, but he’s 2-for-28 against left-handed pitching. He started three straight games in this series for the first time since late March and will receive more runway in the wake of the Dylan Beavers injury, so he desperately needs to take advantage.
12. Addressing concerns about the organization’s strength, conditioning, and training programs is mostly above the manager’s pay grade. But Albernaz openly discussing that possibility was a breath of fresh air instead of simply chalking it up to bad luck or the proverbial injury bug. This has persisted over multiple seasons now.
