The Orioles’ search for bounceback candidates in 2027 starts with a simple truth: some of the biggest hopes in this organization still come with the most baggage.
Gunnar Henderson is the name that hangs over the whole discussion. He’s the player who needs to rebound more than anyone else, even if the case for that turnaround is tangled up in the reality that he still has two full years of team control and no path to an extension. The source doesn’t leave much room for optimism about the current direction, calling Henderson’s stretch a two-season freefall and arguing it’s time to move on.
The same piece also points to the emotional fallout after Adley Rutschman was traded, saying Henderson’s tears “really told you what you need to know.” Beyond that, it frames the Orioles’ top picks as a group that has fallen short of what was expected and says the club should replace Henderson with a defensive-minded shortstop.
From there, the spotlight shifts to Kyle Bradish, who looks like the clearest actual bounceback candidate on the roster. The idea is straightforward: keep him out of the pressure spot at the front of the rotation, let him settle in behind an outside addition for Opening Day, and let him be himself. The source says he went through the usual rough adjustment in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, after a timeline that was handled poorly from the start of his elbow recovery.
The key for Bradish in 2027 is his slider. If he can command it the way he did in 2024, before the injury, or even like he did in 2023 when it was a true weapon, he should be able to lean on it more often and live less on the fastball. That, the piece argues, could push him toward a 3.23 ERA instead of something closer to 4.20, while also reducing home runs and damage with runners on base.
The article also makes clear that simply surviving last season mattered. Bradish throwing that many pitches and getting through the year is presented as a real accomplishment in itself, and the belief is that he’ll return stronger after all he dealt with.
Then there’s Samuel Basallo, who gets a strong endorsement as a player who needs structure more than anything else. The source wants the Orioles to map out his catching workload instead of handling him loosely, and says he should also spend more time at first base to stay active and engaged. It also argues for a better glove-first backup catcher, one who is maybe actually the No. 1 catcher, to give Basallo a sensible time share.
Offensively, the upside is obvious in the piece. Batting behind Pete Alonso in a lineup with real on-base threats ahead of him, Basallo is projected as a guy who could hit 30 home runs and drive in 85 runs. The source calls his first half no fluke and believes he has the mindset and edge to produce with men on base.
Jackson Holliday is mentioned too, but in a more complicated way. The source says he doesn’t have a position in Baltimore right now and badly needs a change of scenery, though it also suggests there’s still a path if the Orioles make him the everyday second baseman and use him in the DH mix.
The big issue, as the piece sees it, is keeping him on the field. He has missed more time than he has played since starting to look like a real everyday major leaguer.
Even with that uneven track record, the source sees a player who understands situation hitting, adjusts well, and brings a stronger competitive edge than some of the other young Orioles around him. It describes him as a run producer who shouldn’t be bouncing around the diamond and says he could help stabilize the middle of the field if Baltimore gives him a real role.
That’s the thread running through the entire piece: the Orioles’ biggest rebound stories in 2027 won’t happen by accident. Bradish needs a cleaner plan on the mound.
Basallo needs a blueprint that balances his catching and his bat. Holliday needs consistency and a place to play.
And Henderson, at least in this telling, is the player whose future most clearly needs a reset.
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Former Orioles Lefty Finds A New Chance After Brutal Setback
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For Orioles fans, the name still carries some familiarity, since Raquet was let go in early September before this move to Detroit. The recovery timeline is a long one, and the Tigers are essentially betting on his health for 2028, but the contract at least gives him a clear path and a place to aim while he grinds through the comeback. [Read more 🡒]