Orioles' core still has elite potential despite disappointing campaign

Will the young core of the Baltimore Orioles lead them back in 2026?

Aug 31, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino (36) walks back to the dugout after getting the explanation for an interference call against his team that resulted in a double play during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

With the season now in the final month for the Baltimore Orioles, the team will be hoping to finish strong and build some momentum heading into the 2026 season.

2025 was a major disappointment for the Orioles, who were in the playoffs the two seasons prior. The future appeared to be very bright for the franchise with a plethora of young talent; unfortunately, some moves made by the front office this winter didn’t end up working out well for the team. Baltimore lost two key players over the winter in Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander, and they didn’t do an adequate job in replacing the production that those two provided.

Couple the poor offseason moves with a lot of injuries to the starting rotation early on and a slow start for some star sluggers, and the Orioles dug themselves into a hole that they were unable to get out of.

Read More: Which starters should the Orioles pursue in free agency?

At the trade deadline, the team wisely elected to trade some of their veteran players who were on expiring deals to help restock their farm system. Despite being sellers this summer, the team will be hoping to bounce back quickly and contend once again in 2026.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN recently wrote about the core for the Orioles, and despite the down season, believes that there is still quite a bit of young talent on the roster.

Is the Future Still Bright for Baltimore?

D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Despite the struggles in 2025, there is reason to believe that Baltimore will be able to turn things around quickly. This is a team with a true star in Gunnar Henderson to be a stabilizing force in the batting order. 

Furthermore, there is a lot of young talent around him that is finding their way as well. This includes Samuel Basallo, who has been extended long-term and provided the first great highlight of his career by hitting a walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

SAMUEL BASALLO’S FIRST CAMDEN YARDS HOME RUN IS A WALK-OFF pic.twitter.com/AYoEIvgo1e

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 6, 2025

Going forward, this should continue to be one of the best lineups in the majors. Even though not all of their prospects have panned out just yet, this is still a fairly young group. 

Even though it has been a down year overall, the starting rotation of late has been quite impressive for the Orioles. Led by Trevor Rogers, this unit all of a sudden looks very strong with a pitcher performing like an ace at the top. 

In addition to Rogers, there are a lot of young arms in the system, and that was a priority for Baltimore at the trade deadline as well. Overall, Baltimore should still be very optimistic about the future despite the down campaign. With a strong young core, expect this team to bounce back in 2026.