Pete Alonso gave the Orioles exactly what they were hoping for in 2026, and then some. The 31-year-old didn’t just strengthen Baltimore’s lineup - he turned in a season that should leave the fan base expecting even more in 2027.
Alonso led the American League in home runs and RBIs, and his .884 OPS was his best mark since his rookie year. His work wasn’t limited to the batter’s box, either. After posting -9 Outs Above Average in 2024 and 2025, he got all the way back to 0 in 2026.
That production has him lined up as a clear Silver Slugger finalist at first base. He’s expected to be right in the mix with the Yankees’ Ben Rice, and he looks like the favorite in what should be a tight race. MVP hardware is probably out of reach this season, but Alonso is still positioned for a strong finish in the voting, likely somewhere in the top 10 and maybe even the top 5.
The part Orioles fans will keep circling back to, though, is the start he got off to in year one. By the end of April, Alonso was batting .198 with a .668 OPS. In his first 31 games, he had only four homers and 13 RBIs.
What followed was the kind of stretch that changes the entire view of a season. From May 1 through the end of the year, Alonso hit .284 with a .936 OPS.
Over his next 130 games, he slugged 39 home runs and drove in 100 runs. On a 162-game pace, that works out to 48 homers and 124 RBIs - MVP-caliber numbers by any measure.
There’s reason for optimism that he can do that from the jump next season, too. Alonso has not exactly been a slow starter over the course of his career.
In March and April, he’s a .260 hitter with an .872 OPS, and that includes 2026. If he starts next season anywhere near that level, Orioles fans will have every reason to dream bigger.
Baltimore has Alonso under team control for the next four seasons, and the ceiling is obvious. He remains one of the game’s most dangerous offensive first basemen, and history says seasons like his can turn into MVP runs. Alonso already has three top-11 MVP finishes on his résumé, so the idea of putting together a full season at that level has to be on his mind.
For now, the focus should be on another Silver Slugger. After that, the Orioles can start thinking about something much larger: Alonso going all the way from day one and chasing the franchise’s first MVP since Cal Ripken in 1991.
In Other News...
Orioles Still Have One Obvious Outfield Problem After Latest Roster Moves
The Orioles kept trimming and sorting their roster this week, a familiar offseason task for a club trying to balance flexibility with a clear need in the outfield. Jos Barrero and Albert Surez cleared waivers and chose free agency, Colin Selby was reinstated from the injured list and sent to Triple-A Norfolk, and Codi Heuer accepted an outright assignment to Norfolk, leaving Baltimore with 33 players on the 40-man roster.
Luis Robert Jr. remains the most notable name in the middle of it all, because the Orioles moved on from his contract option and sent him into free agency. Even after the latest roster moves, the outfield still looks like a spot Baltimore will have to keep addressing, and the front office now has room to keep working on it without forcing a decision just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Just Turned Luis Robert Jr Into An Offseason Debate
Luis Robert Jr.'s Baltimore stint never really got the chance to get going, and now it has already become an offseason decision point. The Orioles have declined his 2027 team option, another sign of how aggressively they are sorting through their roster after a season in which they also moved on from several other players' options for next year.
Robert was claimed off waivers from the Mets in 2026, but injuries kept him from making much of an impact in Baltimore. He appeared in only three games for the club before ending up on the injured list, and the stop-start season left the Orioles with little choice but to treat his future as part of a broader reset rather than a simple return plan. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Hold A Luis Robert Decision That Could Help Boston
Bostons offseason planning already has a familiar name in the mix, and it comes with a Baltimore wrinkle. Luis Robert Jr., now with the Orioles, is one of the offensive options the Red Sox are weighing as they look ahead to building a club that can contend in 2027, especially if they wind up moving Jarren Duran and need another dynamic outfield bat to consider.
Robert still carries the appeal that made him an All-Star in the first place, with power and speed that can change a lineup in a hurry. The concern, as always, is whether the health questions that have followed him in recent years will keep him from becoming the kind of dependable target Boston would want before committing to a major pursuit. [Read more 🡒]