Baltimore Orioles' Season Comes To An End With Sunday Game Cancellation

A rather unorthodox final weekend of the regular season for the Baltimore Orioles came to a sudden end on Sunday.

After playing a doubleheader against the New York Yankees on the road on Friday, in part to anticipated inclement weather on Saturday, the Yankees announced that Sunday’s game against the Orioles will not be played as a result of the forecast inclement weather. The game will not be rescheduled due to Sunday being the final day of the regular season.

Just like that, the Orioles’ 2026 season, one that was defined by a flurry of inconsistencies, has come to an abrupt end. With the Yankees having their spot in the AL Wild Card cemented and the Orioles having already been eliminated from postseason contention, there is no significant reason for the 162nd game of the season to be played, as New York opens their postseason series on Tuesday.

When game time had come around, it was no secret that the game held the possibility of not starting on time since the tarp had remained on the field. The tarp had been held down by tractors because of how windy it was at Yankee Stadium, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Baltimore had posted their starting lineup, while the Yankees never did ahead of the game’s cancellation.

Baltimore’s season comes to an end after 161 games played. The Orioles finished the year with a 79-82 record, marking their second consecutive losing season after making the postseason in the two seasons prior. 

The Orioles definitely did not have the season they had hoped for, especially given the wide window that remained to earn an AL Wild Card spot. 

Heading into the year, the offense that the Orioles came in with, on paper, seemed destined to make noise. The Orioles brought on Pete Alonso, who ended up having a stellar first season in Baltimore, but the bats around him did not come close to him in production.

Gunnar Henderson’s numbers at the plate took a slight dip from his previous averages. Samuel Basallo made a strong impact on the team, but dealt with some injuries in the process. A controversial departure with catcher Adley Rutschman also brought doubt just after the trade deadline, but the Orioles attempted to prevail until elimination caught up to them. 

Conversely, Baltimore’s rotation began to find a groove late in the season. The bullpen had also had its own inconsistencies, with injuries being a common factor.

Alonso won the American League race in homers and RBI, as he clubbed 43 home runs and recorded 113 RBI. He also became the first player to both the NL and AL in RBI in his career.

Baltimore now has an interesting offseason ahead, as they will likely look to bolster both their starting rotation and the outfield ahead of the 2027 season.