This Bold Orioles' Kyle Bradish Take is Raising Eyebrows

With so much emphasis on the Baltimore Orioles' pursuit of a frontline starting pitcher this offseason, it became easy to forget that they arguably already have one (if not two) on their roster.

One is Trevor Rogers, who was arguably the American League's best pitcher for the second half of the 2025 season. The other is Kyle Bradish, who, when healthy, has quietly been one of the American League's best starting pitchers over the past three seasons.

The problem is his staying healthy. The 29-year-old had Tommy John surgery in 2024 after just 8 starts, didn't return until August of 2025, and then made 6 starts before the season ended. He was excellent in those 14 starts, but they were relatively forgettable because of the huge gap between them.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) throws a pitch | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Orioles Reporter Drops Bold Kyle Bradish Take

One person who hasn't forgotten about Bradish is Jacob Calvin Meyer, Orioles beat reporter for The Baltimore Sun. He made this extremely clear with a stance shared during his February 10 appearance on the "Exit 52 Podcast".

"Cy Young candidate," Meyer said when asked what he expects out of Bradish this year, per an X post from @Exit52Podcast. "That's [just] me."

He then continued, "Nobody can predict health, and I'm not going to try to. But this isn't a pitcher that really dealt with any issues, injury-wise — not many — before his Tommy John. So this seemed to be a situation where it was just like, 'Oh, this was his time to have Tommy John. It was going to happen to everybody. So I'm not super concerned about a re-injury risk, or at least, I'm not any more concerned about a re-injury risk for him.

"I think if you go back to basically the second half of 2023, since that point, on basically a per-pitch basis, he has been one of the five or 10 best pitchers in the American League. It's just, he got hurt and missed over a year," Meyer continued.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) delivers a pitch | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

"I'm not saying that the Orioles didn't need an ace, because I don't even know what an ace means these days. And this might sound like a hot take to people, but if you had to ask me who's going to accrue more Wins Above Replacement in the next three years, him or Framber Valdez, I would take Kyle Bradish," he added. "That's how high I am on Kyle Bradish. He's that good. And so I do think they have a legitimate number one starting pitcher with him."

Meyer concluded by saying, "I just think the rotation could have been that much better, had they gone out and got another guy. But yeah, I think they have a guy that is up there with basically any number one starter in the division, except for Crochet, probably."

Bradish >>> Valdez???? 😳@jcalvinmeyer has a HOT TAKE on the Orioles frontline starter for 2026 ‼️

This and more HOT TAKES from JCM on today’s episode: https://t.co/GELylVkSNR pic.twitter.com/EiyQC2b0jx
— The Exit 52 Podcast (@Exit52Podcast) February 10, 2026

Orioles fans are hoping this belief in Bradish pays off.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Orioles Reporter Drops Bold Kyle Bradish Take

Recommended Articles