Why Kyle Bradish Will be the Baltimore Orioles Ace in 2026

The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the best teams in baseball for the past three seasons. Their 267-219 record since the start of the 2023 season is the sixth best in the majors. Many believe that this record would be significantly better if the front office had invested in starting pitching sooner. 

However, many Orioles fans are unpleased with the current state of the pitching rotation, even after Mike Elias and the front office traded for 26 year-old pitcher Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays. A majority of Orioles fans want to see this front office go out and sign a big fish, like a Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez.

But what if I told you that Baltimore already has an ace caliber pitcher waiting in their clubhouse?

Allow me to introduce you to 29 year-old, Kyle Bradish. 

Bradish played his college ball at New Mexico State University before being drafted to the Los Angeles Angels with the 121st overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. 

A year later, Bradish was part of a trade that would have prospects sent to Baltimore in exchange for starting pitcher Dylan Bundy.

Bradish would slowly rise up the ranks in Baltimore's farm system. 

In 2020, Bradish was Baltimore's No. 21 overall prospect. In 2021, Bradish moved up six spots to No. 15. 

2022 was a big year for Bradish, as he finally cracked Baltimore's top ten prospects and made his MLB debut. 

Bradish debuted on April 29, 2022 against the Boston Red Sox at home, and his first major league start was extremely encouraging. 

Bradish threw six innings, only allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out two batters in a losing effort.

However, it was at this moment when Baltimore knew that they could have a special pitcher on their hands. 

Bradish finished his rookie season with a 4.90 ERA in 117.2 innings.

A solid rookie year for Bradish allowed him to crack Baltimore's 2023 rotation, with a chance to prove why he's a top of the rotation arm.

Bradish took his opportunity and ran with it, posting a career best 2.83 ERA in 168.2 innings pitched, earning his first career All-MLB Second Team appearance while being fourth in American League Cy Young voting. Bradish's 2.23 ERA at home was the best single-season ERA in Baltimore Orioles history. Bradish also started Game 1 of the 2023 Wildcard Series for Baltimore where he threw 4.2 innings while striking out nine batters.

Bradish became the first Orioles starter with a sub 3.00 ERA in a single season since 1992, when Mike Mussina posted an unbelievable 2.54 ERA. 

Bradish bursted onto the scene in 2023, but has found minimal success since due to multiple injuries to his throwing arm. 

Bradish only appeared in eight games during the 2024 season.

Luckily for Bradish, he made a full recovery after getting Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in June of 2024. 

Bradish returned to the mound on August 26, 2025 against the Boston Red Sox, and it's safe to say that Bradish hadn't skipped a beat. 

Bradish went six strong innings, only allowing two runs while striking out ten batters in his 2025 season debut. Bradish finished his shortened 2025 campaign with a 2.53 ERA in 32 innings where he struck out a total of 47 batters. 

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. 

Bradish, when healthy, is one of the best pitchers in the American League if not in all of baseball, and I expect him to have a Cy Young caliber season in 2026.