Orioles Must Lean On Basallo And Rogers To Pull Out Of Another Funk Thursday

Perhaps, the Orioles have the best battery possible aligned for Thursday’s series-finale against the Cubs to stop their most recent rot.

Their Opening Day starter, Trevor Rogers, is back in great form after a first-half of agonizing twists and turns (that’s how it goes for him), and he is leaning on his four-seamer more than before, and Chicago, for as much as they mash, are not great slugging fastballs, just 21 in SLG vs them (they beat everything else into submission Wednesday night, however – splitters and cutters and sliders).

And a lineup that has been held to three runs or less in seven of the last 11 games (and four runs or less in eight of those games), desperately needs Samuel Basallo back behind the plate, where he is doing more damage than any catcher in MLB history under the age of 22 (and it isn’t even close at all, with twice as many homers and more RBIs and total bases).

Basallo carried the offense over the weekend and he hasn’t seen as much action with the Orioles facing lefties two of the last three days, but it would be clownish – even by 2026 Orioles standards with failed baseball czar Mike Elias and wannabee manager Craig Albernaz embarrassing themselves nightly _ not to keep this battery intact even with the Cubs throwing another lefty Thursday.

Rogers tends to be a creature of habit and gets caught up in positive or negative runs and he continues to advocate for Basallo as his personal catcher of sorts, and given the precipice this season is hanging on (well, we’ve known it’s been over since May like last year), don’t get too cute here.

“We have a chemistry unlike I’ve had in a long time,” Rogers said after another tick in velo in his last start. “I love it when he’s back there. I hardly ever have to think because we’re just so in sync and I just trust what he calls.”

Keep Them Together

Rogers has his second-best ERA throwing to Basallo of any catcher he has worked with regularly in his career. The only better was Sandy Leon back when Rogers was getting Cy Young consideration early in his career with the Marlins.

Rogers has been stringing together quality starts lately and is 4-2 in his last six starts with a 1.77 ERA. He credits Basallo with a significant role in that. That’s good enough for me.

And as for the comparison for what Rogers looks like throwing to Basallo vs the other option, Adley Rutschman, well, there is no comparison. And who are we kidding, they only ask Basallo to catch day game after night game and they save the tough love and public shaming for him too.

Rogers Career Splits By Catcher (20+ IP)

IP ERA K/W BA OBP SLG OPS

Jacob Stallings 118.2 4.85 2.55 .252 .329 .423 .753

Nick Fortes 90.1 4.58 2.13 .262 .337 .425 .763

Samuel Basallo 86.1 2.50 3.17 .213 .268 .321 .588

Jorge Alfaro 60.1 3.88 2.54 236 .323 .349 .673

Adley Rutschman 53.1 6.58 1.75 .277 .349 .471 .820

Sandy Leon 57.2 1.72 4.13 234 .288 .321 .608

Alex Jackson 29.0 3.10 2.90 .261 .325 .365 .691

Peep that OPS and SLG throwing to Big Same, and strikeout to walk rate.

Basallo’s three-run blast and two-run bast propped up a wobbly lineup in Cincy over the weekend and his prowess with the bat at this stage of his career when also being asked to catch is truly historic. If he keeps bringing out the best in Rogers before he’s dealt at the deadline, all the better.

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