Orioles Star Pitcher Will Be Key Player for Franchise in Second Half

With the All-Star break here for the Baltimore Orioles, it has been an extremely disappointing first half of the season.

After winning the most games in the American League the last two years, the Orioles find themselves in last place in the AL East, and it appears like they are going to be sellers at the trade deadline.

There are plenty of reasons for the struggles of the franchise, but a poor offseason is a good place to start. Baltimore lost their best pitcher and best power hitter in free agency and didn’t adequately replace that production.

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Injuries certainly played a part in that not happening with some key players missing time to start the year.

Even though the team has been better of late, they have dug themselves into a deep hole in the division, and making some miracle playoff run seems unlikely. However, even if the team isn’t going to be in the playoff hunt in the second half, there are still going to be some key players to watch for the franchise.

Jake Rill of MLB.com recently wrote about the key player for the Orioles in the second half being their young starter Kyle Bradish, who is nearing a return.

“It would be great for Baltimore if Bradish can get in a handful of starts and look close to his 2023 form -- when he finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting -- to build momentum toward 2026.”

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Starting pitchers being out has been a significant reason why Baltimore has struggled in 2025, but they are hopeful for some of them to return, and Bradish is certainly one of them.

Coming back from Tommy John surgery is never easy, but if the season is essentially over for the Orioles, getting the rust knocked off in meaningless games would be good to have him prepared to succeed in 2026.

There is a lot to like about the 28-year-old right-hander, who had his breakout campaign in 2023. The young right-hander finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting that year, totaling a 12-7 record and 2.83 ERA.

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It looked like he was on his way toward stardom with a strong start in 2024 as well, but the injury has derailed that.

Even though this campaign hasn’t gone the way the franchise would have liked, they could be in a strong position for 2026. Getting Bradish back and healthy will be key for that, and he will be an important player to watch in the second half.

For more Orioles news, head over to Orioles On SI.