It’s been a long time since the Orioles could claim they had the best anything in all of baseball. Maybe you could say they had the best reliever in baseball ten years ago with Zach Britton. Perhaps, around the same time, you could argue Manny Machado was the best 3B in baseball. Since 2016, though? There have not been many superlatives to go around in Baltimore.
I believe this could change with the 2026 Orioles’ group of infielders and catchers. Thanks to the addition of Pete Alonso, the continued
excellence of Henderson and the ascension of Samuel Basallo, the group playing on the dirt in Baltimore has a chance to be the best collection of infielders and catchers in all of baseball.
Catchers: Adley Rutschman (28 years old), Samuel Basallo (21)
It’s not a stretch to say that the Orioles’ pair of backstops has the most offensive upside of any set of catchers in all of baseball. Rutschman is a former No.1 overall pick and two-time All-Star, who not that long ago was competing with Will Smith, Cal Raleigh and J.T. Realmuto for the title of best catcher in MLB. Basallo is the top catching prospect in the sport, whose offensive upside could land him in the stratosphere of elite offensive catchers like Raleigh and Mike Piazza.
The pairing of Rutschman and Basallo also presents plenty of uncertainty. Through the first two and a half years of his career, the former No.1 pick from the 2019 draft was excellent. He consistently produced an OPS around .800, was an on-base and extra-base hit machine and provided Gold Glove-caliber defense.
Since the Summer of 2024, the Orioles’ franchise backstop has been a different player. Through a litany of injuries (and poor adjustments to compensate for those injuries), Rutschman has become a shell of himself. A pair of oblique injuries limited to 90 games and he has yet to regain his previous offensive form when healthy.
Basallo’s unceartainty comes from his youth and lack of exposure to big league pitching. In 109 AB after his call-up last August, he provided several “wow” moments, but his .165 average and .OPS under .600 painted the picture of 21-year-old battling through his first encounter with major league pitchers.
The big Dominican backstop has been excellent this Spring, putting up a 1.115 OPS while showcasing the power that was his calling card in the minors. If Basallo can continue to take leaps that turn his significant physical tools itno on-field production, he has 30+ HR upside in his backup catcher/DH role. If both he and Rutschman reach the upper end of their potential this season, they’re a catching duo that can produce 250+ hits, 50+ HR and 150+ RBIs.
Corner infield: Pete Alonso (31), Ryan Mountcastle (29), Coby Mayo (24)
The addition of Pete Alonso gives the Orioles one of the best offensive 1B in all of baseball. Since his debut in 2019, only Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber have hit more HR than Alonso’s 264 long balls. His 162 game averages of 42 HR, 114 RBI and .857 OPS show the top offensive profile the Orioles paid $155M to bring to Baltimore this past offseason. Alonso has already proven to be a leader in his short time in the Orioles’ clubhouse. He should also prove to be the big bat to the Orioles lineup they’ve desperately needed the last two season.
Less of sure things are the to other big right-handed bats that will share corner infield duties with Alonso, Mountcastle and Mayo. Due to Jordan Westburg’s elbow injury, Mayo is set to begin the season as Baltimore’s starting 3B. Like Basallo, Mayo offers elite offensive upside at the hot corner. We saw glimpses of this in Grapefruit League play, when Mayo batted .378 with a 1.026 OPS and a couple of moonshots. Mayo will never be anywhere close to Brooks Robinson defensively at third, but a strong September last year and his good showing in the Spring give creedence to the idea that he can be somewhere on the Eugenio Suárez—Austin Riley—Junior Caminero spectrum of power hitting 3B.
The addition of Alonso casts some uncertainty over Mountcastle’s role in 2026. As Mike Elias recently insinuated, Mounty should play almost every game against LHP, likely at 1B with Alonso sliding to DH. Whether he can hit well enoguh to earn more at-bats is something we’ll have to track as the season goes along. RMC has a respectable career .724 OPS vs RHPs, but that has trended downward the last two seasons. Mountcastle may also force his way into the lineup as a defensive upgrade over Alonso, shifting the Polar Bear to even more ABs at DH.
Middle infield: Gunnar Henderson (24), Blaze Alexander (26), Jeremiah Jackson (26)
Gunnar Henderson did not have his idea World Baseball Classic; despite hitting .400 with a 1.267 OPS and two homers, he only appeared in four of the seven games and only had one AB in USA’s loss in the WBC final. However, America’s loss may be the Orioles gain. After posting a good but somewhat disappointing season in 2025, his lack of playing time at the WBC could give Henderson the chip on his shoulder he needs to have a career year in 2026.
Through 497 career games, the Orioles’ star SS has 162 game averages of 28 HR, 20 SB, 85 RBI, 102 R and a .831 OPS. Early indications from Sarasota are that new manager Craig Albernaz will return Gunnar to the leadoff positon this season, putting him back in the role that saw him produce an MVP-caliber season in 2024. While some have suggested that Henderson’s norm may actually be somewhere in between his down season last year and his momentous 2024, there’s still plenty of reason to believe 2026 will be the best year of his career.
Blaze Alexander will round out the double play combo on Opening Day, filling in for the injured Jackson Holliday to start the season. After 451 career PA in Arizona, Alexander comes to the O’s with three calling cards: his blazing speed, plus defense and strong track recod vs. LHP. If he can be a slightly better Jorge Mateo, Alexander will prove to be a valuable piece on the 2026 team. If he can take his opportunity at the beginning of the season and run with it, even better.
Jeremiah Jackson was a fun story at the end of last year, with the utility man hitting .323 with a .828 OPS in August before cooling off over the last month of the season. Jackson is not the same caliber of athlete as Alexander, but offers similar defensive versatilty, a strong arm and surprising line-to-line power that is belied by his 5’11”/165 lbs frame. As the current 26th man on the roster, Jackson will have to start 2026 hot if he wants to hold onto his spot once Holliday or Westburg are heatlhy.
On the IL: Jackson Holliday (22), Jordan Westburg (27)
Whether or not this actually becomes the best group of dirt dwellers in the league largely depends on how fast Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg get healthy. Holliday could be back sometime in April as he heals from a broken hamate bone in his right hand. Westburg is less certain; if the platelet-rich plasma injection he received for his elbow works, he could be back in may. If the PRP injection doesn’t work, he’ll likely miss the whole season.
In an infield with many “if’s,” the “if Jackson Holliday can make big leap” and “if Jordan Westburg can be healthy” are high on the list of things that can raise the Orioles ceiling. If both get healthy, the Orioles will add two players with All-Star upside to an infield with two bonafide superstars. Should neither “if” break the Orioles way, it’ll put a lot of stress on Mayo and Alexander to have breakout seasons.
This infield and catcher contingent has undeniable offensive upside. The huge caveat hanging over their head, though, is the defensive side of the game. Both Mayo and Alonso profile as below average defenders at the corners. Gunnar is closer to average at short, but known to be error-prone. Alexander is a good defender at second, but Holliday is not. The O’s were one of seven teams who were aggressively bad defensively last year. All of those teams finished with at least 86 losses. Whether the offense can outweigh the defensive concerns will be one of the biggest storylines in Baltimore this season.
