Baltimore Orioles Season so far 2026
by Gabriel “Tito” Avila, Jr.
Editor
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame
As of August 20, 2026, the Orioles are having a disappointing but still potentially salvageable season. Considering that they can still make a wild card push. Currently the Orioles are 61-66 (.480) and are actually 151/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL Eastern Division and 1/2 games out of the final AL Wild Card position. The team has been outscored 604-573 due to a 31 run differential.
The current picture is that the Orioles record as of now stands at 61-66 with a winning percentage of .480
they currently stand in 5th place in the American League East. From my perspective the Pete Alonzo trade
has gone well for the Orioles. Pete Alonzo has made a big difference for the franchise especially with all the experience Pete Alonzo has brought to the Orioles. Pete if anything has provided solid power that Baltimore had expected. Yesterday Pete hit his 29th Home run against the Yankees at Camden Yards as he is projected to hit around 40 Home runs this season at the current pace. Gunnar Henderson continues to be an important part of the Orioles offensive catalyst. Baltimore recently showed what its lineup can do during a three-of-four series victory over Tampa Bay. Henderson hit .438 during that series, while Alonso reached base 11 times and hit two homers. The Orioles starting rotation has shown flashes. Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers and Chris Bassitt have been important pieces. The Orioles still have enough starting pitching to make a late push if the offense becomes more consistent. The Major problems is that the offense has been inconsistant. Baltimore has scored .573 runs while allowing 604, which is one reason its record is below .500. Against the Yankees on August 19, Baltimore managed only five hits and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in a 3–1 loss.
The Orioles bullpen has hurt them as the Orioles have had difficulty protecting games, and the August 20 loss illustrated the problem. The Yankees broke a 3–3 tie in the eighth inning after Cam Sanders walked a batter and hit two more, eventually scoring twice. Another issue was the effect of the trade of Adley Rutschmanchanged the team. After trading him to the Boston Red Sox on August 3rd the catching
production has dropped sharply. Carlos Narváez and Yohel Pozo had combined to hit only .146 with one homer and seven RBIs before Samuel Basallo’s return. The Orioles are counting on the return of Samuel Basallo to return from the injured list on August 19 after missing time with right shoulder inflammation. Before the injury, the 22-year-old rookie was hitting .241 with 16 home runs and 46 RBIs in 86 games.
Basallo return gives Baltimore another legitimate middle-of-the-order bat at a time when the club badly needs offensive production. The Orioles just dropped the first two out of a three game series to the Yankees. August 18: Yankees 3, Orioles 1, August 19: Yankees 5, Orioles 3. The reality is that the two Yankees victories have openly exposed Baltimores biggest weaknesses: difficulty scoring with runners on base and problems finishing close games. In closing Baltimore is not out of the Wild Card race, However, the margin for error is becoming very small. At 61-66, the Orioles need to play significantly better than .500 over the next final weeks of the season to reach the postseason with only 35 games left to play overall at home will be 17 and 18 games on the road . My conclusion is can Pete Alonzo carry the middle of the lineup,
Can Gunnar Henderson lead a late offensive surge, How much can Samuel Basallo’s return improve the lineup, Can the bullpen hold leads,Can the rotation particularly Bradish, Rogers and Bassitt keep Baltimore competitive, Can the Orioles close the 1½-game Wild Card gap, How will the Rutschman trade ultimately affect the organization. The Orioles’ season is essentially at a make-or-break point: they’re below .500, but close enough to the final Wild Card spot that a strong run could completely change the story.
