Every club seems to unearth a bullpen surprise or two over the course of a season. A reliever comes out of nowhere, strings together a useful stretch, and suddenly looks like the kind of arm that can patch over a lot of problems.
Baltimore hasn’t gotten that kind of break.
With roughly 40 games left in what has become a lost season, the Orioles are still searching for someone - anyone - beyond the pitchers they already trust and pay to handle meaningful innings. The group that has actually given them something has mostly been the expected one: Yennier Cano, Andrew Kittredge, and Tyler Wells before he was dealt. Beyond that, the cupboard has stayed frustratingly bare.
Rico Garcia did provide a bright spot for a while, but that came after the Orioles found him a year ago, so it doesn’t really help them now or going into 2026.
Two pitchers in particular were supposed to be part of the solution this season, and both have become examples of how shaky the relief picture has been.
Anthony Nunez, the converted infielder, opened with some promise before the Orioles pushed him into a high-leverage role. The results went the wrong way fast.
His command and confidence faded, the swing-and-miss disappeared as he kept getting used more, and he’s sitting on a 4.60 ERA in MLB this year. He’s now back in Norfolk and not getting another look after the club moved Wells.
Grant Wolfram was the left-hander the Orioles seemed most eager to make work. Baltimore spent the year without a reliable lefty in the bullpen, and Wolfram’s reverse splits made the front office look smart on paper. But he’s been asked to do too much, too soon, and the wheels have started coming off in those higher-pressure spots.
Wolfram now carries a 5.75 ERA, which is rough for any pitcher and especially ugly for a reliever. His WHIP is up to 1.5, and the slide has been especially steep since the All-Star break, when he’s posted a 9.39 ERA over 7 2/3 innings. At this point, salvaging much from his season looks like a long shot.
The newest name to watch is Alex Hoppe, acquired as part of the salary-dump transaction for Taylor Ward after a brutal run in Seattle. Hoppe has been wild and erratic, but his fastball has life, and he’s managed to get a few outs early in his Orioles tenure. That’s enough for now to make him the next arm in line for a bigger role.
Whether that turns into anything useful is another matter.
For Baltimore, the larger issue is hard to miss. Outside of the bullpen’s “A team,” there hasn’t been much of anything to latch onto this season, and that leaves plenty of reasons to doubt how the final weeks will go - especially with four games coming up in Tampa.
In Other News...
Former Orioles Catcher Is On The Move Again After Latest Roster Shift
Alex Jacksons latest stop has already reached another roster turn, as Minnesota trimmed its catching group after Ryan Jeffers came off the injured list. Jackson had been brought up while Jeffers was sidelined and wound up appearing in 29 games for the Twins this season, giving the club a longer look at an experienced backup while it waited for its starter to return.
For Orioles followers, the name still carries a familiar edge after Jackson spent last year in Baltimore. Minnesota is now set to move forward with Jeffers and Victor Caratini behind the plate, which leaves Jackson in limbo again as the veteran catcher waits for his next landing spot. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Have A New Prospect To Dream On
MLB Pipelines latest update gave Orioles fans another name to circle, with outfielder Eric Booth Jr. jumping to the top of Baltimores prospect list. The 18-year-old first-round pick in 2026 is already ranked No. 40 overall in baseball, and his first taste of pro ball with Single-A Delmarva got off to a promising start with hits in each of his first two games.
For an organization that has built plenty of its recent optimism around young talent, Booths rise only adds to the inventory. Baltimore now has four prospects in MLB Pipelines Top 100, with Anthony Eyanson, Joseph Dzierwa and Caden Hunter also on the list, giving the system another layer of depth while the spotlight shifts to a teenager whose ceiling has already caught the industrys attention. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Get An Early Look At A Key Return From The Trade
Kyson Witherspoon is already giving Orioles fans an early look at one of the more intriguing pieces from the Adley Rutschman trade. The right-hander, a first-round pick by Boston in the 2025 draft, has started pitching for High-A Frederick and is beginning the process of settling into a new organization after coming over in the deal that also sent Enddy Azocar, Anthony Eyanson, Carlos Narvez and Harold Rivas to Baltimore.
For now, the Orioles are treating Witherspoon less like a project to overhaul and more like a pitcher to get comfortable. Pitching coach Jordie Henry is focused on helping him acclimate first, rather than rushing into mechanical tweaks, which makes sense given how fresh the move is and how much attention comes with being part of a trade built around a franchise face. The real question for Baltimore is how quickly Witherspoon can turn that early transition into something more permanent in the system. [Read more 🡒]