The Orioles’ 2026 season has been a mixed bag almost everywhere you look, but the bullpen has quietly become the one part of the roster that’s holding firm.
Baltimore’s offense has been uneven, the defense has disappointed, and the rotation has swung back and forth. The relief corps, though, has been a different story.
The group owns a 3.91 ERA, which ranks 12th in baseball, and a 1.27 WHIP that sits 10th in the majors. The underlying numbers point even more favorably: a 3.82 FIP ranks fifth, and a 3.62 xERA ranks fourth, a sign the unit has probably been a little unlucky along the way.
The trend has even sharpened since Aug. 1.
Over that stretch, Orioles relievers have posted a 3.75 ERA, still good for 12th, while their FIP has dropped to 3.26. That’s the kind of improvement that suggests the group isn’t just surviving - it’s settling in.
Monday night against the Mets offered another example. Brandon Young gave Baltimore five innings of one-run ball, leaving the game tied after allowing five hits and five walks. From there, the bullpen took over and slammed the door, covering the next four innings while allowing only one baserunner, a leadoff single in the eighth.
There’s also a clear core taking shape for the long haul. Rico Garcia leads Orioles relievers with 63 2/3 innings and has a 2.97 ERA.
Yennier Cano has worked 64 games and carries a 3.13 ERA. Josh Walker hasn’t allowed a run since Aug. 2, a stretch that covers 17 straight outings.
Since coming over from the Mariners, Alex Hoppe has given up just two earned runs in 15 appearances for Baltimore.
That stability matters even more when you look ahead to the offseason. The only relievers locked into free agency are Keegin Akin, who hasn’t pitched since June, and Andrew Kitteredge.
Kitteredge has been solid with a 3.74 ERA in 45 2/3 innings, but the Orioles have enough other arms stepping forward that they can replace that role internally. Ryan Helsley has a player option and is likely to pick it up.
Baltimore should also get a major boost back next season with former All-Star closer Felix Bautista, and possibly even late this season. Bautista and Helsley are both on rehab assignments. Bautista would move right back into the closer job next year, which would push everyone else down a notch and deepen the group even further.
Relievers can be volatile from one year to the next, but the Orioles have put together enough reliable options that they shouldn’t have to chase a major bullpen overhaul this winter. They can look elsewhere for help and fill in around the edges. For a team trying to build something that lasts, that’s a pretty good place to be.
In Other News...
Orioles Fans Have Every Right To Question Craig Albernaz After This
A tight extra-inning loss had the Orioles looking back at the kind of night that can linger, because so many of the missed chances came in the games biggest spots. Baltimore had its chances earlier, then clawed back in the ninth inning to even things up, only to come up empty again once the game moved into the 10th.
The sequence that stood out most came in the seventh, when Craig Albernaz had Samuel Basallo lay down a bunt in the middle of a rally attempt. Basallo had been struggling, but the call did not pay off and the inning slipped away, leaving fans to wonder whether Baltimore gave up too much offense in a game already hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Make Another Outfield Tweak With Wild Card Pressure Rising
The Orioles kept adjusting their outfield mix before facing the Brewers, reinstating Christian Franklin from the 10-day injured list and sending Heston Kjerstad back to the minors. Franklin has already appeared in 16 games since being acquired at the trade deadline, so this is another sign Baltimore is trying to squeeze more stability out of a roster under pressure as the Wild Card race tightens.
Trevor Rogers was lined up to start for Baltimore opposite Milwaukees Robert Gasser, adding another layer to a game that carried more than just lineup intrigue. With the Orioles still searching for the right balance in the outfield and on the mound, every roster move and every start matters a little more now, especially with the seasons margin for error getting smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Just Made Their Offseason Direction A Lot More Clear
Mike Elias has been around long enough in Baltimore to know that every offseason conversation eventually turns to the same question: what exactly are the Orioles building toward next? On that front, the picture got a little clearer this week. Elias said he expects to remain in his role through the offseason and into next year, and he also confirmed Craig Albernaz will be back as manager for the upcoming season.
The broader message is just as important for a club trying to sharpen its edge after a year of front office changes. The Orioles are planning to bring in outside voices to their baseball operations, a sign they want more perspectives as they look to improve the roster and the organization around it. For a team that has already started reworking how it operates, the continuity at the top suggests the next step is less about changing direction and more about refining it. [Read more 🡒]