Bold opening: The 2026 Orioles are back in force, and you can feel the energy already. Good morning, Camden Chatters.
As we map out the key dates toward the new baseball season, the Orioles hit a major milestone yesterday: their first full-squad workout. The entire roster has gathered in Sarasota for spring training, reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting fresh ones. In just three days, baseball returns, with the O’s hosting the Yankees at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday afternoon for the Grapefruit League opener.
Seeing everyone together again, focused and buzzing with positive momentum for the year ahead, can lift the mood even of the most skeptical fan. Baseball is on the horizon, and these are your 2026 Orioles—ready for whatever comes next. The group now assembled in Sarasota is the core we’ll be following closely for the next 7–8 months. Of course, roster moves will happen along the way—potentially a flood of changes, if last year’s 70-player rule is any hint—but the backbone appears in place. The challenge now is narrowing this large camp roster down to the 26 players who will open the season on March 26.
Top priority: stay healthy. The Orioles have already endured injury bumps with Jackson Holliday, who will miss the first few weeks after hamate surgery, and Jordan Westburg, limited by an oblique flare-up. Expect some aches and pains to surface during the four-week exhibition schedule—that’s part of the game. If they can dodge major injuries and keep the projected lineup and pitching staff relatively intact through spring, they’ll likely roll into 2026 with more momentum than they carried into a tough 2025.
The season is nearly here. Let’s get excited and enjoy the ride.
Links
Holliday is optimistic about a swift return and plans to rejoin the O’s early in the season. My bigger worry is whether the hamate injury will dampen his power even after he’s back in the lineup.
Rather than chasing an ace, the Orioles acquired a pitcher they believe has the potential to become one. If they’re right, this could pay off big.
Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers both show ace-like ceilings, but one is coming off Tommy John surgery and the other has less than a full season of top-tier work. The Orioles are betting substantially on some uncertain bets.
A thoughtful read from Andy Kostka examines what Adley Rutschman and the Orioles coaches have done this offseason to reverse his year-and-a-half slide. Adley clearly has a sharp mind; whether that translates into increased plate production remains to be seen.
Let’s aim for multiple awards this year. Why not dream big?
FanGraphs’ latest top-100 prospects list includes four Orioles. I’m not about to let Nate George get erased from the conversation.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share it with four former Orioles: right-hander Scott Williamson (50), outfielders Mike Hart (68) and Willie Kirkland (92), and the late infielder Alan Wiggins (born 1958, died 1991).
On this date in 2003, tragedy struck when 23-year-old rookie right-hander Steve Bechler collapsed at spring training and died from multi-organ failure. The autopsy pointed to a weight-loss supplement containing ephedra; a year later, the FDA banned ephedra-based dietary supplements in the United States.
And on this date in 2014, Baseball Reference notes that the Orioles significantly improved their pitching by signing free agent Ubaldo Jiménez and South Korean Suk-min Yoon. In reality, Yoon never pitched for the Orioles, posting a 5.74 ERA in 23 Triple-A games before returning to Korea. As for Ubaldo, his four-year stint with the Orioles included a 32–42 record and a 5.22 ERA, ending his MLB career, and there’s no need to recount his most infamous game.
