The Orioles got better on the mound this season, but that doesn’t mean the work is done. Not even close.
After a year that saw 60 players wear the uniform and 30 pitchers appear in games, the biggest question hanging over the roster is the one that usually decides everything: what comes next with the rotation?
The numbers say the group improved. Baltimore’s starters finished with a 4.24 ERA, good for 17th in the majors, after sitting at 4.65 and 24th last season.
The workload was heavier too, with the rotation logging 863 1/3 innings, third in the American League and sixth in the majors. That was a jump from 829 2/3 innings in 2025, when the Orioles ranked 19th in the majors and 11th in the AL.
But the churn was still impossible to miss. Ten Orioles made starts this year, with Shane Baz leading the way at 31.
Zach Eflin made only one start, on March 31, before blowing out his elbow and needing reconstructive surgery. Keegan Akin started twice among his 24 appearances before his own elbow procedure.
And the club’s revolving door wasn’t new: last season, 16 pitchers made starts, including Akin, Scott Blewett, Dietrich Enns, Rico Garcia, Chayce McDermott and Albert Suárez making one each.
There was more stability at the top this year, though. The Orioles had not had four pitchers reach 28 or more starts since 2010, when Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Matusz, Kevin Millwood and Brad Bergesen did it. This season, Baz worked 31 times, Trevor Rogers 30, Kyle Bradish 29 and Brandon Young 28.
Three of those four look like they could be part of the 2027 rotation.
Baz was the headline arm. His 15 losses told only part of the story, because the offense often went silent behind him.
He matched his career high in starts, set a new personal best with 179 2/3 innings, lowered his ERA from 4.87 in 2025 to 4.11, and threw his first complete game. He also signed a five-year, $68 million extension in March, so he’s not going anywhere.
Bradish gave the Orioles a full season again after Tommy John surgery, and that counts even with the sports hernia that kept him from pitching after Sept. 12.
He faded late, maybe because the workload caught up to him, but there were plenty of stretches when he looked like an ace again. In May, he had four quality starts, including one earned run over 13 combined innings in his last two outings of the month.
In June, he allowed one run while striking out 21 over 15 2/3 innings in back-to-back starts. He followed that with three straight quality starts in July and then back-to-back quality starts on the road in August.
He also signed a five-year, $90 million extension in July.
Young turned into one of the best stories on the staff. He posted a 3.56 ERA, the lowest in the rotation, and stepped into a major role after injuries hit Eflin, Dean Kremer and Chris Bassitt. He was second on my Most Valuable Oriole ballot, and plenty of others saw it the same way.
That leaves Rogers, who could be one of the more attractive starters in a relatively thin free-agent market. He won’t command Tarik Skubal money, but if he turns down the Orioles’ expected qualifying offer, he should still land a strong deal.
Baltimore is looking for another starter regardless. If Rogers departs, that need only grows, and the Orioles will have to think big. A trade could be back on the table, because this is not a club that’s about to chase Skubal at any price.
Bassitt pitched much better after back surgery, but free agency is expected to take him away. Eflin’s deal includes a $25 million mutual option and a $2 million buyout. He has said he’d like to stay, including again recently, but after the surgery, he’s probably headed back to free agency.
The internal options are there, but they’re still coming. Cade Povich, Trey Gibson and Luis De León are in the spring training mix, with De León set to return to starting after debuting in relief. Kremer was traded to the Twins.
Baltimore’s pitching pipeline is also heavier than it has been in past years. MLB Pipeline’s top 30 list for the Orioles is loaded with arms, and the same goes for most other prospect rankings.
Anthony Eyanson, Joseph Dzierwa and Caden Hunter rank second through fourth. Dzierwa was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Pipeline has Eyanson 45th on its top 100, Dzierwa 69th and Hunter 92nd.
None of them are ready to break camp next spring.
So yes, the rotation was better. It also still feels unfinished.
The Orioles improved, but they’re not in position to stand still. Multiple changes could be coming.
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Rogers perspective mattered because it came from inside the rotation, where the margin for error can vanish quickly over six months. Baltimore had the talent to believe in a postseason return, but the season became a reminder that good stretches are not enough when a team cannot stack them together, and the Orioles now have to turn that lesson into something sturdier before next year arrives. [Read more 🡒]
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Cowser knows the next step is bigger than just carving out a useful role. He came out of the season talking about wanting to become an everyday player in 2027, which is the kind of ambition the Orioles will welcome if the bat can match the defense. For now, though, the path forward still comes with a familiar test, one that will determine whether he stays more of a specialist or becomes a fixture in the middle of Baltimores lineup. [Read more 🡒]