The season isn’t over, but it feels a lot like it. On Thursday afternoon, after the team’s final home game, the MASN broadcast team said its goodbyes and thank you’s, looking ahead to next season. So we’re
looking ahead, too, and that means sorting through some of the talent that’s come through these metaphorical doors.
The Orioles have used a record-tying 70 players this season, not all of whom have made a dent in the roster. Some of these guys are long gone, others are locks (Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo among them), but others require a little longer scrutiny.
Cade Povich
Cade Povich has gotten his chances as a fifth starter but, a 3-8 record and 5.12 ERA is a) a slight downgrade on last season and b) not OK for a competitive team. Povich will have his chances to compete for a spot, come springtime, but it seems likely he gets moved to long relief.
Tomoyuki Sugano
He’s delivered kind of what we were promised: he’s made his starts (29) and he hasn’t been terrible (1.3 bWAR, 4.54 ERA). But I have difficulty seeing him back for $13 million a year.
Brandon Young
It’s tough. What does a guy have to do to get an audition around here, throw an actual perfect game? The trouble was, outside of that one start, Brandon Young was quite bad, pitching to a 6.24 ERA and -0.7 bWAR. I presume he’ll be in the mix for long relief, but the odds are long.
Alex Jackson
Don’t tell me that you, too, fell for the “Alex Jackson could be the greatest unearthed gem since…” line after one month (July) where the catcher batted .242 with a .931 OPS. A .160 average and .570 OPS in September has reset expectations, but the former first-rounder has still been quite interesting. The Orioles may have a jam at catcher next season, but I expect Alex Jackson to be still in the mix.
Gary Sánchez
No. The only thing the erstwhile Kraken did this year was hit well for two weeks in June and manage to earn $8.5 million for 29 total games. Although that’s impressive in its way…
Tyler O’Neill
Same situation, different contract. Tyler O’Neill played in only 51 games this year but he was surprisingly ineffective in them, posting a -0.5 bWAR largely, says bRef, based on his defense. This three-year, $49 million deal looked terrible this season, but it’s hard to imagine O’Neill could do worse next year.
Jorge Mateo
Jorge Mateo has been hanging around this team since 2021, but after one good season (3.7 bWAR and a league-leading 35 stolen bases in 2022) his usage keeps declining. His bat was worse than ever this season (.184 BA/.501 OPS) and he was misused in center field. I think the team is showing just how much they value him, and not in the good way.
Jeremiah Jackson
This was a really interesting experiment: a former second-rounder stashed in the minors for, like, ever by the Angels, acquired for nothing by Baltimore, and who provided 0.4 bWAR in 45 games. His defense was suspect, and his bat cooled off (.154 BA/.584 OPS in his last week). But a .278 BA/.328 OBP/.451 SLG/.778 OPS from a reserve infielder is nothing to sneeze at.
Ryan Mountcastle
Mounty had a great August (.305 BA/.348 OBP/.463 SLG/.812 OPS) but he missed a lot of his time this season, and his defense got worse. I have difficulty seeing a reunion, both because of the contract situation and because of how the team has courted Coby Mayo as a replacement at first.
Other bullpen names
Man, at 41 total pitchers, this is a dizzying list. Here are a few.
Rico García has been in the league since 2019 but this is his first season with a positive WAR. Undoubtedly his stats are artificially inflated (2.70 ERA in 18 starts), but until the bubble bursts I think he sticks around. With a 97-mph fastball, a nasty changeup, and enough grit to stick out runners-on-base situations, García deserves an extended audition.
Yaramil Hiraldo has an interesting changeup but a 4.91 ERA in 16 games doesn’t make you think he needs to be on this team next year. He’ll be in the mix but with no cut-in-line pass or anything.
Kade Strowd’s numbers surprised me, because I thought he’d actually been worse than he was: 0.8 bWAR in 23 games, with a 1.80 ERA, 1.160 WHIP and 22 K. A 3.58 FIP probably tells a more realistic story. Nonetheless Strowd should be a strong candidate for next year’s pen.
Lastly, Keegan Akin, now one of the longest tenured Orioles on the team. His misses loom large, and his 3.52 ERA isn’t dazzling, but in truth, he’s been the bullpen’s most reliable and effective reliever in 62 games. With so much turmoil, turnover and injury, it’s not likely the team moves on from him anytime soon.
Besides these finds from this year, and names I’ve left off the list by omission or distraction, don’t forget some guys waiting in the minors, namely outfielders Reed Trimble and Enrique Bradfield Jr. They, too, could be in line for a 2026 call-up, making for a potentially much more interesting roster come this time next season.
