The Orioles couldn’t put 2025 behind them any quicker.

While the calendar is just turning to 2026 on Thursday, the Orioles’ attention has been directed toward next season for months already. The front office came out aggressively this offseason with signings of Pete Alonso, Ryan Helsley and Zach Eflin, while also trading for Taylor Ward, Shane Baz and Andrew Kittredge. After their last-place finish in the American League East, the Orioles are intent on making the new year a more successful one for Baltimore.

But to get there, this new-look blend of rebuild cornerstones and offseason additions must put 2025 behind them and find a way to translate their potential into on-field results.

Here are 10 New Year’s resolutions the Orioles will hope to keep in 2026:

Pete Alonso: Just mash, baby

His defense at first base will bear watching closely, as the Orioles would like for him to remain there for at least the first few seasons of his five-year, $155 million contract before shifting to a full-time designated hitter, but let’s not overthink this. The Orioles brought Alonso in to add thump to their lineup. If he continues his streak of five straight 30-homer seasons, missions accomplished. 

Trevor Rogers: Keep adding velocity

Rogers was perhaps the Orioles’ biggest bright spot in 2025, parlaying added strength and mechanical adjustments into a 1.81 ERA over 18 starts. His fastball velocity was among the biggest keys to his success, jumping to an average of 93 mph compared with 91.7 in 2024. He entered the offseason planning to lean more into his strength training and continue making gains in velocity. His ERA might not be sustainable, but a few more ticks on the radar gun would go a long way in carrying over his breakout campaign.

Craig Albernaz: Set the tone

Not to be overlooked among the Orioles’ offseason moves is their manager hire. Albernaz inherits a clubhouse that’s still among the youngest in MLB despite its championship aspirations. He will be tasked with corralling a clubhouse that is relatively light on veteran leaders and postseason experience. A first-year manager, Albernaz will be expected to hit the ground running and set the tone for a winning culture.

Gunnar Henderson: Take some of the pressure off

There were times last season when Henderson tried to win games all by himself. Caught up in the Orioles’ struggles and his own lack of power production, he started pressing and expanding the strike zone. The result was a swing-happy approach that went against the traits that made him a Most Valuable Player Award candidate in 2024. Now that he has added lineup protection in Alonso and Ward, Henderson can start letting pitches come to him again. The home runs should follow.

Adley Rutschman: Rediscover his approach

Rutschman is the Orioles’ biggest wild card for 2026. Can he get back to the MVP-caliber player he was the first two and a half years of his career, or is the regression he’s endured since who he is now? His biggest strength used to be getting on base through solid contact to all fields. After finishing below his career averages in opposite-field (23.6%) and line-drive rates (17.2%) last year, Rutschman must find a way to rediscover his old approach if he’s going to get his career back on track.

Ryan Helsley: Avoid tipping pitches

It might sound easy. Don’t let your delivery give anything away to the opposing hitter about what’s coming. But tip pitching was a big problem for Helsley last season, particularly after he was traded to the New York Mets at the deadline. Hitters sat on his slider and punished the fastball, despite the pitch averaging an elite 99.3 mph. If Helsley can clean up his mechanics, he could very quickly regain his status as one of the best closers in the game. 

Mike Elias: Finish the job

The Orioles’ president of baseball operations has crushed the offseason so far, plugging several holes with aggressive moves that have Baltimore among this winter’s biggest spenders. But he still has one glaring item left on the checklist: acquire a front-line starter. If Elias can pull off one more splash, the Orioles will be in prime position to make a serious run at the AL East title and beyond.

Tyler O’Neill: Stay healthy

Nobody was more frustrated by injuries last year than O’Neill, who played just 54 games — his fewest for a full season. He attempted to play through multiple ailments, and it affected his production on the field, giving him a .199/.292/.392 slash line with nine home runs for the year. The thing is, he still barreled up the baseball as well as anybody, and the raw power is unmistakable. A clean bill of health might be all he needs for a bounce back.

Shane Baz: Refine his command

The Orioles’ new young starter showed plenty of promise with his strong strikeout and groundball totals last season, but his walk and home run rates left plenty of room for improvement. Baz, as many Tampa Bay pitchers do, pounded the strike zone, perhaps to the point where it worked against him. Should he be able to work the corners of the zone better, the right-hander’s already-nasty stuff will play even better.

Colton Cowser: Get ahead in counts

Over the past two seasons, nobody has had more strikes (swinging or called) against them at a higher rate than Cowser’s 32.5%. Nearly a third of every pitch he sees is a strike, an alarming number for a player the Orioles hope will be their everyday center fielder of the future — if not the present. Cowser has struggled with swing and miss, but that can be overcome if he can get the pitches he wants. That starts with working better counts.

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