Insider's Stance About Kyle Bradish's Orioles Importance Turns Heads

One of the most interesting aspects of the Baltimore Orioles' 2026 season will be watching what Kyle Bradish can produce.

Bradish is arguably one of the most talented starting pitchers in the American League and was excellent in his most recent 14 starts. The problem is that those 14 starts are all Bradish has been able to produce over the past two seasons.

The 29-year-old Bradish had Tommy John surgery in 2024 after making 8 starts for Baltimore. He didn't return to the Orioles' rotation until August of 2025, and then only had time to produce 6 starts before the season ended. Therefore, the question is more about Bradish staying healthy than it is about what sort of player Baltimore will get when he's on the mound.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Of course, nobody can fault Bradish for needing Tommy John (just about every professional pitcher needs it at some point in their career), and his return timeline wasn't excessively long. But Bradish will need to go out and prove he can keep healthy and perform at an elite level for an extended period of time before the questions around him will end.

ESPN's Jeff Passan Asserts Orioles Season 'Hinges' on Kyle Bradish

At least one MLB insider has a clear idea of how important Bradish will be for Baltimore this season. ESPN's Jeff Passan asserted that Baltimore's season "hinges" on him in a March 13 article.

"More specifically, it's about the 29-year-old Bradish's ability to withstand a significant innings jump in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. Bradish was brilliant in his return late last year, juicing expectations as he headlines a rotation that added right-handers Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt over the winter. Between Bradish and Trevor Rogers, the Orioles boast a pair of starters who have shown extended periods of excellence.

Passan then spoke about how the Orioles have an elite offense with all of their offseason acquisitions, but that lethal offense would be diminished if Baltimore's rotation were mediocre. Passan then added, "Bradish is the bulwark against that."

Free at ESPN: My ultimate season preview. All 30 teams. All kinds of information. If you want to know where every team stands going into 2026, your one-stop shop is here: https://t.co/Z3Adb1f21t
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 13, 2026

The Orioles announced that Trevor Rogers would be their Opening Day starter, which likely means that Bradish will start their second game. While this is a nod to Rogers' success last season, the bottom line is that Baltimore needs both of these guys to perform like aces if they're to reach their goals.

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