What we learned about the 2026 Orioles in season’s first series
One weekend of baseball is just not sufficient to let you know a lot of something about your favourite group. It’s an enormous pattern dimension sport and we simply do not have a lot information but on the 2026 season. Some gamers on huge league rosters have not even seen recreation motion but. So any type of good or dangerous vibes that could be surrounding the Orioles proper now could be ignored.
Or at the least, that is what I’d say if I did not have a weblog to jot down! Who are we kidding? The web craves on the spot reactions, in-depth evaluation of 1 five-inning begin, and predictions on the place this season is headed. Measured, considerate views can get misplaced. We need solely the hottest, freshest takes!
Of course, there may very well be a center floor too. Sure, you are not going to jot down somebody off or elevate them to stardom based mostly on three video games, however you may nonetheless be taught one thing. And since the Orioles have a brand new supervisor and noticed a large inflow of offseason expertise, there’s a lot to be gleaned from every day at the ballpark.
So, let’s go that route and dig into what we learned about the 2026 marketing campaign throughout the Orioles’ season-opening series win over the Minnesota Twins.
The ABS system is electrical…and game-changing
The Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) is just not model new to lots of the gamers. Testing started with the Atlantic League again in 2019, expanded to affiliated baseball in 2021, and has been accessible all through Triple-A parks since 2023. But this previous spring could have been the first introduction to it for many followers, and presumably even some extra skilled huge league gamers.
However, groups are nonetheless attempting to be taught the greatest method to the system. Challenges are limitless in case you hold getting them proper. But in case you miss twice, you’ve none left for the the rest of the recreation.
Through the first two video games of the weekend, the Orioles solely challenged twice. Then, on Sunday, they requested for six opinions. Good factor they did, as a result of they had been proper on 5 of them and, according to one outletthese profitable challenges had been value greater than two runs.
The ninth inning was notably impacted. Orioles nearer Ryan Helsely went from strolling Josh Bell on two events and placing the tying run on base with one out, to hanging him out and inflicting Twins supervisor Derek Shelton to fly right into a rage that finally received him ejected. Camden Yards erupted. It was enjoyable! And the system is pretty non-intrusive since opinions are accomplished in simply seconds.
The Orioles had been on the proper aspect of ABS this weekend. That will not at all times be the case, and you may think about future cases the place we, as a fanbase, “argue with the robots” as MASN’s Kevin Brown put it. But for now, it looks as if a change for good.
Defensively, the Orioles outfield is a piece in progress
The Orioles got here into the season with considerations in their outfield. While there’s loads of promise in the offensive potential of the group, their fielding is one other dialogue. And we noticed these worries rear their heads virtually instantly to start the 12 months.
On Opening Day, each Tyler O’Neill and Taylor Ward made poor performs on the subject. O’Neill, charging in from proper subject, made a late name to take a shallow pop up away from second baseman Blaze Alexander. The ball ended up coming out of O’Neill’s glove for an E9. Later on, Ward appeared lackadaisical in left subject, enjoying what ought to have been a double for Byron Buxton right into a triple. Buxton wound up scoring and giving the Twins late life.
On Sunday, Dylan Beavers began in heart subject, his first huge league motion at the place. He did not have many possibilities on the market, however one which did come his means would find yourself getting misplaced in the solar and falling in for a weak double. Colton Cowser, the regular heart fielder, battled the solar on Opening Day as properly, however was in a position to make all of the vital catches.
These types of misplays are going to occur all through a season. But to have three of them in the first three video games of the 12 months is a matter. Hopefully as extra video games move it would appear extra like an anomaly than a characteristic of the roster. And we most likely will not complain an excessive amount of if O’Neill and Beavers account for 5 out of each eight runs pushed in, like they did on Sunday.
Coby Mayo could be simply positive at third base
The lack of Jordan Westburg for an undetermined period of time accidents. He’s a former all-star and Gold Glove-caliber third baseman. His alternative, Coby Mayo, comes into the season as a promising however unproven hitter with questions in the subject. In truth, it appeared like the membership had determined at the finish of 2025 that he was going to be a first full-time baseman. That modified with the signing of Pete Alonso and subsequent damage to Westburg.
Mayo now has a chance to be the Orioles on a regular basis third baseman for the foreseeable future. Westburg’s damage presents a murky restoration timeline. Missing the complete season is on the desk. So inside stress on Mayo might be restricted to its personal efficiency. If he performs properly sufficient, he’ll be the man. Through the first weekend, the outcomes had been encouraging.
At the plate, Mayo went 2-for-9 with a double, an RBI, two walks, two strikeouts, and a stolen base. This adopted a spring the place he hit .378/.405/.622 with 5 strikeouts and three walks in 15 video games. Overall, he seems like somebody with a greater concept of the strike zone and fewer jitters at the plate. He has matured and is not placing as a lot stress on every particular person pitch.
In the subject, he has been spectacular, making a couple of good snags and turning a number of key double performs on Opening Day. Rather than a legal responsibility, Mayo’s glove has been a vital ingredient of the Orioles wins to start the season. There is extra to be taught about what’s working for him, however up to now, so good.
Bridging the hole from the starters to Helsley goes to be an experiment
The resolution to pursue Helsley as their nearer is wanting like a smart one from the Orioles’ entrance workplace. He already has two saves and has struck out 4 throughout two innings. Opening Day appeared so much higher than Sunday, together with a noticeable distinction in fastball velocity, however the end result was the identical. The Orioles received.
We will see how the rotation works out. Trevor Rogers was sensible. Kyle Bradish battled. And Shane Baz had one nightmare inning. Ultimately, expertise ought to shine by means of, and the group might be positive.
The center innings, nevertheless, are going to be a piece in progress, notably with Andrew Kittredge on the shelf. For now, supervisor Craig Albernaz should take a look at out a couple of totally different mixtures to determine what works. It was, predictably, a combined bag to start the 12 months.
Tyler Wells was used to arrange man twice. In each cases, he gave up a run. The struggles that Dietrich Enns had in the spring have carried over to begin the 12 months. He coughed up a run in his 1.2 innings on Saturday. Yaramil Hiraldo has already given up a house run, one thing he struggled with final 12 months.
Fortunately, there have been positives as properly. Anthony Nunez appeared superb, hanging out three over his two innings of reduction. Grant Wolfram punched out two in his inning. Rico Garcia received out of a bases loaded jam. And Yennier Cano is wanting like the all-star model of himself.
There does appear to be sufficient expertise right here to construct a rock stable bridge from the rotation to Helsley in the ninth. That bridge may simply be paved with some hard-learned classes alongside the means.
The Orioles weren’t good to start the 12 months. This group has flaws, and so they had been obvious at occasions this weekend. But the membership’s upside was additionally obvious, and so they received a series whereas their greatest participant (Gunnar Henderson) scuffled. There’s loads of room for this group to develop.
