Grading the performance of the Orioles' starting rotation in 2026

Having a good starting rotation is one of the most important components to any successful baseball team. It can also be one of the most difficult aspects of a roster to put together. From costly injuries to the occasional down year, if one pitcher is unable to do their part, it can throw an entire rotation out of sync. Just look at the Baltimore Orioles. 

Without a definitive ace on the roster, the team saw a very uneven season from their starting pitchers in 2026. And it cost the team a real shot at playing in October. That’s not to say that the Orioles didn’t experience their fair share of highs out of the rotation. The club saw some impressive performances dotted throughout the season that really picked the team up when they needed them the most. 

Unfortunately, the Orioles also saw a handful of costly lows from their starting pitchers as well. Whether it was due to rough stretches to begin the year or struggles with allowing free passes to opposing batters, an imperfect rotation certainly played a role in keeping the Orioles from reaching their full potential. 

Orioles’ starting rotation saw a mixed bag of results throughout the season 

Altogether, the Orioles starting rotation was far from the biggest reason that the team failed to make the postseason. The team’s starting pitchers delivered 62 quality starts on the season. That was good for the 6th most in all of baseball. The Orioles’ rotation also had a combined 4.07 ERA on the season, which ranked as the 12th best. 

Simply put, the rotation did an adequate job in 2026 and at least helped keep the Orioles in ball games throughout the season. For a team expected to contend with the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees for the top spot in the AL East, it’s hard to ask any more from the starting pitchers. 

There were certainly some pitchers that did everything they could to help the team. On the flipside, there were others that could not live up to even the most subdued expectations.  But what grades can each pitcher expect to see on their report cards?

Trevor Rogers: B+

At the top of the class is Trevor Rogers. He was able to shake off a tough start to the season and deliver a very solid year overall for the Orioles. Up through the All-Star break, Rogers sported a 4.48 ERA and a 1.306 WHIP to go along with it. He also struck out just 69 batters in 90.1 innings or work. Simply put, he was just not good enough to help lead Baltimore to a competitive first half of the season. That put them into a hole that they were never fully able to climb out of. 

However, Rogers buckled down in the second half and really delivered a number of great starts down the stretch. By the end of year, he finished with 4.0 fWAR, the best among his fellow starters. And with a highly-impressive 0.906 WHIP in the month of September, Rogers did all he could to try and sneak the Orioles into the postseason. But the team lost each of his two September starts that saw him go at least six innings while striking out 10 or more. Hard to fault Rogers there. 

Brandon Young: B   

Brandon Young gets graded on a bit of a curve here. He was never meant to be the Orioles’ most reliable starter at any point this season. At best, he was thought to be an innings-eater that wouldn’t surrender too many runs. But through June, Young was the team’s best pitcher. He stepped up when other pitchers faulted in the first half of the season. 

While Young didn’t quite turn into a pumpkin by the end of the year, his luck was starting to run out against opposing hitters. His 81% Chase rate remained solid throughout the season, but he saw an increasing amount of hard contact across his 156.2 innings pitched. But again, Young far exceeded any expectations the team had of him in March. The team finished with a 19-9 record in games started by Young this season. That’s well worth a solid B grade. 

Shane Baz: C   

When the Orioles dealt a number of prospects to the Rays in order to acquire Shane Baz, they expected him to be a staple at the front of the rotation for the foreseeable future. As of now, that expectation is still on the table, though it’s not guaranteed. Much like Rogers, the Orioles also saw Baz struggle to really get going this season. Even though he wasn’t completely dreadful, his 1.388 WHIP in the first half left a lot to be desired. 

But once again, much like Rogers, the 27-year-old pitcher found a way to lock in after the All-Star break and pitch well for the Orioles. By the end of the season, his 3.4 fWAR was the second-highest among the Orioles’ starting pitchers. Unfortunately, the team won just 10 of Baz’s 31 starts in 2026. As his mediocre 4.11 FIP suggests, Baz barely did enough to keep the Orioles in most of his starts. 

Chris Bassitt: C-

The Orioles signed Chris Bassitt to a one-year deal worth $18.5 million back in February. While he wasn’t brought in to be the ace of the starting rotation, he was expected to help the team win ball games. But after going down with a back injury in June, Bassitt’s season went from bad to worse. However, to his credit, he bounced back in an impressive way when he was activated from the injured list in August. 

Following his return to the Orioles, Bassitt allowed more than three runs just once in his eight starts. Because of his ability to limit the damage, the team won six of those starts. He wasn’t a dynamic addition to the team, but he provided a decent amount of innings after recovering from his back injury. Was he worth $18.5 million? No way. But the Orioles could have done a lot worse. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but what more do you want from a C minus grade?  

Kyle Bradish: D 

After completing his first (nearly) full season since 2023, Bradish signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension in July. Even if Bradish dominated throughout the 2026 season, signing him to a long-term deal was still somewhat of a risk. His sports hernia surgery in September probably even triggered a pinch of concern among Orioles fans. Fortunately, that issue shouldn't be much of a concern moving forward to 2027. 

What should be a greater concern for the Orioles is Bradish’s spotty success and questionable underlying metrics. With a 4.25 FIP in 155 innings of work in 2026, Bradish was not as effective as you’d like a pitcher in the middle of your rotation. His elevated 4.1 walks per nine and diminished 8.2 strikeouts per nine offer a grim picture on Bradish’s season as a whole. To make matters worse, hitters boasted a ghastly .928 OPS against Bradish in the second half. Maybe you could attribute that to fatigue, but it should be cause for concern. 

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