How the Baltimore Orioles' Bullpen Persevered Despite Roadblocks

Heading into the year, the Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen seemed to be one of the team’s stronger suits on a roster that appeared to be well-rounded. However, the bullpen ended up having its share of hurdles.

For the majority of the season, Baltimore was without their top two high-leverage arms – Félix Bautista, who nearly missed the entire year due to a shoulder surgery, and Ryan Helsley, who had two separate stints on the injured list due to a right elbow injury.

The lack of high-leverage arms brought the Orioles to give a number of relievers an opportunity to take on such chances late in games. As a result, it brought an emergence of a few relief arms in a bullpen that remained steady throughout the season, despite the injuries.

By the end of the season, the Orioles’ bullpen combined for a 3.82 ERA, which was the 11th best total in the league. The result was especially impressive, as it was a slow start that was defined by a strong finish to the year for Orioles relievers.

From the start of June to the end of the season, the Orioles had the third-best bullpen ERA in the league with a 3.23 tally. Baltimore found a way to be successful in the bullpen despite having their top relief arms sidelined for the majority of the year.

Due to those injuries, the Orioles primarily ran with a closer-by-committee for the season, outside of when Helsley was healthy, as he converted eight saves in his 17 appearances on the year. Veteran Andrew Kittredge led the charge in the category, as he led the team with 11 saves in a very productive year.

Eleven different Orioles pitchers recorded a save this season, which ended up being the most in one season in Baltimore franchise history. Seven of those pitchers had multiple saves to their name, and two of those had double-digits — Kittredge and Rico Garcia, who had 10.

Garcia and Kittredge were a pair of relievers that turned into a reliable tandem for Orioles manager Craig Albernaz to tab late in games. 2026 marked Garcia’s first full season in relief, as his 75 appearances widely exceeded his previous career-high total — but that did not slow him down. The right-hander posted a 3.09 ERA in 67 innings pitched this year.

The 2026 season also saw an emergence of some relief arms. Anthony Nunez and Cam Sanders both ended up being efficient, as the two relievers with minimal major-league experience gave the Orioles some innings. 

Righty Tyler Wells also had a solid year, though the Orioles shipped him to the Tampa Bay Rays at the deadline. Alex Hoppe, who Baltimore acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the Taylor Ward trade, emerged to contribute late in the year in relief. 

Nonetheless, the Orioles’ bullpen was able to persevere through roadblocks to come out efficient in 2026, despite the team’s disappointing result of missing the postseason. However, the development is rather encouraging as the Orioles expect Bautista and Helsley to be healthy heading into 2027, with a reinforced bullpen.