Three Things To Watch in Baltimore Orioles Weekend Series vs Boston Red Sox

The Baltimore Orioles await their AL East foe, the Boston Red Sox, for a home series at Camden Yards.

Neither team is having the season they thought they would have, but it is still early, and this series is a great opportunity for both teams to get out of the AL East basement.

If the Orioles are to be successful, there are three things that need to happen.

ADLEY RUTSCHMAN IS BACK

Apr 21, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) hits a home run during the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

After a year to forget in 2025, Adley Rutschman is back in 2026. Despite missing ten days due to an IL stint, Adley has been the best Orioles hitter all season long.

Rutschman is currently batting .316 with a .948 OPS with a home run and five RBI in just 11 games played. That home run came in his first game back off the IL on Tuesday against the Royals. In his 11 games this season, Adley has multiple hits in four of them, including a three-hit game back on April 10th.

If Adley can consistently get on base, his bat will be a massive asset for this team. Not to mention, he can be a top-tier catcher behind the plate. Rutschman can switch hit, taking away any platoon matchups, and he is patient, drawing five walks already this season.

For a team that has struggled to find consistent offense, Adley coming back for this important AL East series is perfect timing.

While he is only batting .232 at home against the Red Sox in his career, he does have 16 hits, two home runs, and 7 RBI in 20 games against the Sox at Camden Yards. Now is the time to boost those numbers.

THE STARTING PITCHING

Apr 14, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Tyler Rogers (28) delivers during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The starting pitching was supposed to be one of the strengths of this team after a 2025 where it was a weakness. Tyler Rogers is coming off a career year, and they signed Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt in free agency. Unfortunately, it has not all come together quite yet for the staff. They currently have the 11th-worst ERA in baseball and the 5th-worst in the American League.

The Red Sox are a team full of free swingers, and they are coming off a series in which they were largely held in check by the New York Yankees' starting pitching. They will be looking to take advantage of the warm weather and the hitter-friendly park that Camden Yards can be.

The starters will need to be ready to offer strikes to draw weak and soft contact so they can go deeper into games, prevent runs, and lower their ERA.

The bullpen has been much better than the starters, so if the starters can get through a game unscathed, the Orioles have a good chance at emerging on the winning side.

PLAY CLEAN DEFENSE

Apr 24, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) commits an error on a ground ball by Washington Nationals first base Josh Bell (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It is no secret that the Orioles' defense has been brutal to begin the year. They are tied for the 9th-worst team in MLB, according to Fangraphs, in terms of Outs Above Average recorded at -4. They also have a defensive rating of -4.8, which is 7th-worst in MLB. They also commit 0.56 errors per game, which is tied for 17th in baseball.

All in all, their defense needs work. It is a factor in the starting pitching ERA being so high. It is a factor in the team not being able to string together wins. If the team defense can improve, the team will improve. It comes to simpler things like your jump, initial read, arm strength, and hitting the cutoff man.

If the simple things are executed, errors will not hurt as much, and there will be fewer people on base and in scoring position. Defense has been a massive hindrance to team success this year for the Orioles, and the Red Sox will certainly test that by taking the extra base, stealing bases, and putting the ball in play.

The Orioles sit in third place in the AL East, 1.5 behind the 2nd place Rays and 3.5 behind the first-place Yankees. They are ahead of the Red Sox by 2.5 games, so this series holds its importance. It keeps the Orioles in contention for the AL East and American League Wild Card berths. It is only April, but every game matters, especially divisional matchups. This is an opportunity for the Orioles to right the ship and get going on having the season they know they should be having.

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