Craig Albernaz reveals Orioles’ Opening Day rotation

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints | Last updated Mar 22, 2026 3:48 PM ET

The Baltimore Orioles hope to return to the Major League Baseball Playoffs in 2026, following a tough 2025 campaign. Baltimore’s new manager Craig Albernaz has his rotation in place. The manager revealed Sunday who those pitchers will be, per the Baltimore Sun.

The Orioles rotation will be: Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt, and Zach Eflin. Rogers will be the team’s starter in an Opening Day game against the Minnesota Twins.

The Orioles are coming off a season that saw the team finish the year with a 75-87 record. Baltimore missed the MLB Playoffs.

Albernaz previously worked as coach on the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Guardians before getting the Orioles manager job.

Orioles have high hopes for 2026

Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Baltimore made a huge splash in free agency this offseason. The Orioles agreed to a contract with free agent star Pete Alonso, who decided to not re-sign with the New York Mets. Alonso immediately becomes one of the centerpieces of Baltimore’s offense.

The team is hoping to pair Alonso with young slugger Jackson Holliday. Holliday is dealing with an injury, which will keep him out for Opening Day.

“The 22-year-old continues working his way back from surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right hand, which he underwent in mid-February. Holliday won’t be ready to join Baltimore for Opening Day, but he could begin a rehab assignment at the start of the Triple-A season,” CBS Sports reported.

Along with solid hitting, the Orioles are hoping for solid pitching. The team’s rotation looks very different than it did in 2025. Eflin is the only starter who also was on the team’s Opening Day roster in 2025.

“Eflin, who re-signed with the Orioles on a one-year deal, was the Opening Day starter in 2025, leading a group that also included Dean Kremer, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Cade Povich. Not one of those latter four pitchers is currently with the Baltimore Orioles’ big league squad,” Sports Illustrated reported.

Baltimore opens the season on March 26 against Minnesota. The club is playing a spring training game on Sunday against the Washington Nationals.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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