The Baltimore Orioles have no shortage of talent on paper, but that hasn't translated to a winning record so far. They're 3-6 after nine games to start the 2026 campaign, and they just got swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Orioles scored eight runs across the three games, which matched their total in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers. They did score four runs on nine hits in Friday's 5-4 loss, but totaled just four runs on a combined 14 hits over the next two.

Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt hasn't helped matters, as he coughed up six earned runs over two innings in Sunday's 8-2 defeat after giving up four runs across 4.1 frames in his season debut on March 30. The 37-year-old signed a one-year, $18 million deal with Baltimore in February after notching a 1.04 ERA in seven playoff outings for a Toronto Blue Jays team that came within one win of winning the World Series last year. He also went 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA over 32 appearances (31 starts) in the regular season.

Fellow offseason acquisition Pete Alonso has also been far from dominant. The five-time All-Star is slashing .229/.308/.343 with one homer and three RBIs after inking a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles in December.

However, all is not lost. The squad has months to improve under new manager Craig Albernaz, and several players are already performing well.

Baltimore's starting pitching wasn't reliable against Pittsburgh, as right-hander Kyle Bradish allowed four runs in four innings on Friday. Fellow right-hander Shane Baz was the saving grace, as he tossed a shutout in 5.2 frames on Saturday.

Orioles fans looking for silver linings can look at a couple of red-hot position players. Left fielder Taylor Ward and catcher/designated hitter Adley Rutschman have a .886 and .964 OPS, respectively, although Ward has 35 at-bats against Rutschman's 21.

Baltimore sent starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for Ward in the offseason, and that move has worked out as well as the team could've hoped for thus far. Meanwhile, Rutschman is outperforming rookie catcher Samuel Basallo, who is hitting .148 after signing an eight-year, $67 million extension in August. 

Although the Orioles might not have originally envisioned starting the season 3-6, there's no reason to panic yet. The squad has been inconsistent, but there are enough positive signs to have faith in Albernaz and company.