2026 Orioles spring broadcast schedule highlights a major TV transition

Watching Baltimore Orioles baseball felt like a chore last season. Excitement over the Orioles potentially being a contender quickly faded as Baltimore stumbled out of the gate and never recovered. The team was an afterthought by the deadline, where Mike Elias took a wrecking ball to the group. Anyone who was on an expiring contract was moved, and in the final months of the regular season were a cast of misfits. That shouldn't be the case in 2026.

The Orioles have been among the teams at the center of the conversation this winter, signing Pete Alonso as their blockbuster move. Of course, they also traded for Taylor Ward and Shane Baz while signing Ryan Helsley for the backend of the bullpen.

If the Orioles finish the offseason by landing Framber Valdez or another established starting pitcher to be named later, fans will be racing to their TVs to watch them this summer.

Orioles spring broadcast plan just revealed a major 2026 TV shake-up

A hidden victory for Orioles fans this offseason was revealed a few days ago. The Washington Nationals announced that they are leaving MASN, and their games will be broadcast directly through Major League Baseball.

While the move speaks to a larger problem facing baseball ahead of the CBA expiring next offseason (television contracts), it does serve as a net-positive for Orioles fans.

The Orioles, of course, hold a majority stake in MASN but shared the network with the Nationals as part of an agreement when they were rebranded after leaving Montreal. Unlike what has been the case since 2005, Orioles games, and only Orioles games, will be on MASN during the summer.

In other words, Orioles fans will have more access to their favorite baseball team. That was none more apparent than when it was announced earlier this week that MASN would broadcast 20 of the 31 spring training games the Orioles play this season. That is more than double from previous years, and brings the Orioles to the same level as other teams with their own television network.

It may seem like a small detail, but it speaks to one of the expectations fans when David Rubenstein took control of the team. There was a belief that the Orioles would become more modern, and while it took a few years, no longer sharing a network with the Nationals is a step in the right direction.