Two years ago, the Orioles hosted the Royals in the Wild Card round. Baltimore had just finished the regular season 91-71, a drop from their previous 101-61 record in 2023, but still good enough for second place in the daunting American League East and for the top Wild Card spot.
Despite dropping the series in two games to Kansas City, it looked like Baltimore was set up for the future. It wouldn’t have shocked anyone for the Orioles to continue making the playoffs and reaching the ALCS, if not beyond.
Instead, mirroring the Royals’ path, the Orioles bombed in 2025 and don’t look all that much better in 2026. Last year, coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, Baltimore fell to last in the East, finishing 75-87, 19 games back of first place. Manager Brandon Hyde, a mortal enemy of my family, didn’t even last 45 games before being ousted.
It didn’t matter.
This season, the Orioles have improved, albeit minimally. Their winning percentage is up, but they remain in the AL East’s cellar, and the playoffs look as far away as they did in 2021, when the Orioles finished an embarrassing 52-110.
Royals fans can relate.
Kansas City Royals (38-56) at Baltimore Orioles (43-51) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
Royals: 4.31 runs scored/game (20th in MLB), 5.11 runs allowed/game (27th in MLB)
Orioles: 4.55 runs scored/game (13th in MLB), 4.89 runs allowed/game (23rd in MLB)
Pete Alonso, signed away from the Mets in the offseason, leads the Orioles with 2.0 bWAR as he’s slashed .249/.345/.467 with 20 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 56 runs scored. Another offseason acquisition, this time by trade with the Angels, Taylor Ward leads the team in walks with 71, which has boosted his OBP to a career-high .383 as his slugging has dipped to .352, which would be his worst in a full season. Catcher Adley Rutschman, a/k/a The Only Player Drafted Ahead of Bobby Witt Jr., has bounced back from a very down 2025, though his numbers remain across a chasm from what he posted his first two seasons. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson, drafted in the second round of that same 2019 Draft, is struggling. Long ago are the days are finishing fourth in MVP voting, let alone winning Rookie of the Year in 2023. All told, the Orioles feature six regulars who are posting a below-average OPS, chief among them Henderson, but also starting third baseman Coby Mayo, starting right fielder Tyler O’Neill, and starting center fielder Leody Taveras.
It looks like the Orioles will start 27-year-old Brandon Young tonight. The second-year righthander leads the team in wins with seven while posting a solid 3.89 FIP over 77-and-1/3 innings pitched. He doesn’t strike out a lot of batters, but doesn’t walk many, either. Righties Kyle Brandish and Shane Baz are the projected starters for games two and three of the series. Brandish leads the team in strikeouts but also allows 1.1 home runs per nine innings, worst among Oriole starters with at least 10 starts. Baz sports the team’s best FIP at 3.79, but his strikeouts are down while his walks are up. Not a good combination.
The team’s closer, Ryan Helsley, is out, and so 36-year-old Andrew Kittredge picked up the save in yesterday’s 3-2 win over the Cubs. Reliever Tyler Wells picked up the win yesterday despite allowing the go-ahead run to score. He leads Baltimore relievers in innings pitched while Rico Garcia leads them in appearances with 42. Garcia has a WHIP well under one and strikes out over a batter per inning. Righty Yenier Cano leads all relievers with a 2.65 FIP.
I have no idea what to think of this series. As I stated in the opening paragraphs, two years ago it looked like the Royals and Orioles would be facing each other often once the calendar flipped to October. Clearly, things have changed for both teams, and for the worse.
Case in point: this mid-July series, the last before the All-Star break, has zero consequences for either club. What a shame.
Luinder Avila takes the ball for the Royals tonight. First pitch: 6:05 PM local time.
