Top Ten Players on the Baltimore Orioles Heading Into 2026

The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner.

We are eight days away until the pitchers and catchers report, 18 days away from spring training, 30 days away from the World Baseball Classic, and 51 days away from Opening Day. 

Major league ball clubs have now gone through a majority of the offseason, where they have a good idea of their roster and team identity. 

For the Baltimore Orioles, they are now entering year four of their "contending" window, with players such as Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman leading the charge. 

However, Baltimore has gone all in to win in 2026 as they added superstar first baseman Pete Alonso, flame throwing reliever Ryan Helsley, and traded for a high upside starting pitcher in Shane Baz. 

Baltimore now has a surplus of talent throughout their clubhouse, and I feel like it's only right to rank the top ten players on their team heading into 2026. 

Colton Cowser was once one of the better young players in the American League after an extremely strong rookie campaign in 2024. Cowser smashed 24 home-runs and drove in 69 RBI's in 153 games played, while having an impressive .768 OPS. Cowser came second in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil. However, Cowser had a significant down year in 2025 as he had a batting average of .196 in 92 games played. Cowser struggled to get on base, as his contact and plate discipline took a massive dive. Luckily for Cowser, I believe he will have a bounce back year in 2026 as he will have less pressure.

Dean Kremer has been one of the most consistent pitchers in Baltimore Orioles history. Kremer's 671.2 innings pitched since 2020 is first amongst former or current Baltimore pitchers, further displaying his workhorse mentality. Although Kremer lacks top of the rotation upside, he has been a reliable low end rotation arm for Baltimore since his debut in 2020. 

At one point in 2023, Adley Rutschman was considered to be the BEST catcher in baseball, as his 2023 campaign was magnificent. Rutschman posted a strong .809 OPS in 588 at-bat's, while clubbing 20 home-runs and 80 RBI's that season. Unfortunately for Rutschman, he has yet to reach that level of play since, as his .695 combined OPS from 2024 and 2025 implies his bat to ball skills is declining. However, I believe Rutschman will have a bounce back year in 2026, as he is as healthy as ever. 

Ryan Helsley has taken over the closer role for Baltimore after Felix Bautista is set to miss another season with a shoulder injury. Helsley was once the best reliever in the National League, as he earned 2024 National League Reliever of the Year honors. However, Helsley has had to start from scratch as he had a very poor stint with the New York Mets in the second half of the season last year. However, I believe Helsley's numbers are misleading, and that he will once again re-establish himself as one of the best relievers in the game.

Jordan Westburg is the "wildcard" for Baltimore. If he can stay healthy, Baltimore is a legit contender. If Westburg continues to battle the injury bug, Baltimore won't reach their full potential. The third baseman has yet to have a season where he plays more than 110 games, but when he is healthy, all he does is produce. Westburg has an OPS of .785 since the start of 2024, further displaying his elite hitting tools. 

Taylor Ward has been a very under the radar acquisition by Baltimore, but Baltimore fans understand exactly the type of player that Ward is. Ward is one of the bet power bats in the MLB, as his 75 home-runs since the start of 2023 is seventh most amongst outfielders. Adding the power bat won't only add home-runs to the lineup, but will bring a veteran presence and voice that has been lacking in Baltimore.

Trevor Rogers had one of the best storylines of last season, as his 1.81 ERA was the second best in all of baseball (Min. 100 IP) behind Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Rogers was considered an afterthought heading into 2025, as his 2024 campaign was rather forgetful. Rogers posted a 7.11 ERA in 19.0 innings pitched for Baltimore in 2024, but completely retooled his pitch mix for 2025. Rogers is now considered to be one of Baltimore's best starting pitchers, as the fanbase hopes he can replicate his 2025 success. 

Kyle Bradish is one of the best pitchers in the American League when healthy, but has battled the injury bug for the past two seasons. However, when Bradish returned to the mound in August of 2025, he picked up right where he left off. Bradish posted a 2.45 FIP and 29.4 K-BB% across 32.0 innings, further displaying that he is ace material. Kyle Bradish's 2.78 ERA since the start of 2023 is the sixth best amongst qualified starting pitchers who have thrown a minimum of 200 innings, only behind Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Drew Rasmussen.

Pete Alonso was a brilliant edition by Baltimore's front office. Alonso won't only bring a lot of home-runs and RBI's, but a veteran leader who has a ton of postseason experience. Alonso's 264 home-runs since the start of 2019 is third most in the MLB, only behind Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber. I fully expect Alonso to have another 100 RBI season in 2026 -- this time for Baltimore. 

Gunnar Henderson is widely considered to be one of the best young talents in the MLB, but after a down 2025 year, many are under looking Henderson. The shortstop has only produced at an elite level since making his MLB debut in 2022, as his strong .831 OPS in 497 games displays that. Henderson smashed 37 home-runs in 2024, but struggled to find his power for 2025. If Henderson can find his power again in 2026, I don't see why he can't be a top ten player in all of baseball.