Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers represents the highs and lows of the professional baseball journey. The club optioned the left-hander to Triple-A in August 2024 after he posted a 7.11 ERA in four starts since it acquired him from the Miami Marlins in July, and now he's the ace.

The Orioles announced on Friday that Rogers will be the Opening Day starter on March 26 against the Minnesota Twins, via their social media. The veteran has been elite since he returned from a knee injury last season, as he went 9-3 with a 1.81 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over 18 starts and has thrown five scoreless innings in spring training this year.

Rogers injured his knee in January 2025 and returned on May 23. The former All-Star then won the 2025 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award and set a franchise single-season ERA record (minimum 100 innings). 

Baltimore needs Rogers to keep being reliable, as it finished 26th in MLB with a 4.60 team ERA last season. That was one of the main reasons why it finished last in the AL East after making the playoffs each of the previous two years.

The Orioles addressed the pitching staff over the offseason, adding right-handed starters Chris Bassitt and Shane Baz as well as closer Ryan Helsley and right-handed reliever Andrew Kittredge. The latter player likely won't be ready for Opening Day due to right shoulder inflammation, per MLB.com.

Bassitt finished 29th in baseball with a 3.96 ERA over 32 outings (31 starts) for the Toronto Blue Jays last season, while Baz posted a 4.87 mark over 31 starts for the Tampa Bay Rays. However, Baz had a 3.06 mark over 14 starts in 2024.

Helsley finished 21st with 21 saves over 58 combined appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. The 31-year-old recorded a 4.50 ERA, but had a 2.04 mark across 65 outings in 2024.

Finally, Kittredge posted a 3.40 ERA and 15 holds over 54 combined outings for Baltimore and the Chicago Cubs. The 35-year-old has had a sub-3.50 ERA each year since 2020.

The Orioles have the pieces in place for an improved pitching season in 2026, especially with right-handed starter Zach Eflin rehabbing from back surgery. The 31-year-old might not be ready for Opening Day, but he had a sub-4.00 ERA in 2023 and 2024 before posting a 5.93 mark over 14 starts in 2025.

Baltimore will host Minnesota at 3:05 p.m. ET on March 26. Up next is a spring training contest with the Philadelphia Phillies at 1:05 p.m. ET on Friday.