An updated projection for Orioles' Opening Day roster

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles are set to open their 2026 season with a Thursday matchup against the Twins at Camden Yards.

Which 26 players will be on Baltimore’s roster? Here’s an updated projection for the O’s as the opener nears.

Catcher (2): Adley Rutschman, Samuel Basallo
Rutschman remains the Orioles’ No. 1 catcher, but Basallo (MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 overall prospect) will get considerable time behind the plate as well. Expect to see them in the lineup together quite often, with both likely to get plenty of starts at designated hitter.

First basemen (2): Pete Alonso, Ryan Mountcastle
After signing a five-year, $155 million deal with Baltimore on Dec. 11, Alonso is now the team’s primary first baseman. The move seemed to signal that either Mountcastle or Coby Mayo would become a trade chip, but both have remained in the organization.

Mountcastle avoided arbitration with a $6.787 million deal that added a $7.5 million team option for 2027. The 28-year-old will serve as a right-handed bench bat capable of filling in at first base and DH.

Second baseman (1): Blaze Alexander
Alexander was acquired in a trade with the D-backs on Feb. 5 to become Baltimore’s new utility man, as the 26-year-old can play anywhere in the infield and all three outfield spots. He’ll eventually move around the diamond, but until Jackson Holliday (broken hamate bone in right hand) returns -- which will likely be in mid-April -- expect to see Alexander mostly at second.

Shortstop (1): Gunnar Henderson
Henderson had a “down” 2025 season by his lofty standards, but he was playing through a left shoulder impingement for much of the year. The 24-year-old is healthy and poised for a big ‘26, as he showed with his stellar performance for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Third baseman (1): Coby Mayo
With Jordan Westburg (partial UCL tear) sidelined until at least May, Mayo has returned to the hot corner, where he mostly played while coming up through the Minors. As the 24-year-old has gotten reacclimated to third, he’s been raking, hitting .389 (14-for-36) across 14 exhibition games.

Outfielders (5): Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, Leody Taveras, Taylor Ward
Cowser became the starting center fielder during the final two months of last season after primarily playing the corners up to that point in his MLB career. The 25-year-old is set to remain in center entering his fourth big league season.

Ward (who was acquired in a trade with the Angels on Nov. 19), O’Neill and Beavers -- who is dealing with right knee soreness but is expected to be OK for Opening Day -- should combine to get the bulk of the starts in the corners while also factoring into the DH rotation. Taveras signed a one-year, $2 million deal on Nov. 6 to provide depth, particularly in center.

Former top prospect Heston Kjerstad was trying to push his way onto the roster this spring, but the 27-year-old cooled off after a hot start to camp. He's also now dealing with right hamstring tightness, so he could end up on the IL to open the season.

Utility (1): Jeremiah Jackson
Luis Vázquez, Bryan Ramos, Weston Wilson and Thairo Estrada have been in the mix for this final bench spot as well, but Jackson had a strong finish to camp, which included hitting a three-run home run in Sunday's 8-1 exhibition win over the Nationals at Camden Yards. Jackson also proved he can handle second base, with third and right field as secondary options.

Vázquez’s elite defense at second, third and shortstop has kept him in contention. However, the 26-year-old got stitches in his right thumb after getting hit by a pitch on Monday, putting his status in question.

Starting Pitchers (5): LHP Trevor Rogers, RHP Kyle Bradish, RHP Shane Baz, RHP Chris Bassitt, RHP Zach Eflin
The O’s had six options here, but they decided to go with a traditional five-man rotation, optioning Dean Kremer to Minor League camp on Saturday. There had been uncertainty regarding whether Eflin would get built up in time for the start of the season after undergoing back surgery last August, but the 31-year-old put together an impressive spring to prove he was ready.

Relief Pitchers (8): RHP Ryan Helsley (closer), LHP Keegan Akin, RHP Yennier Cano, LHP Dietrich Enns, RHP Rico Garcia, RHP Jackson Kowar, LHP Grant Wolfram, RHP Tyler Wells
The locks among this group are Helsley, Akin and Wells, who should be a high-leverage option after working mostly as a starter when healthy from 2022-25. However, Akin is dealing with an adductor injury that has put the 30-year-old's status for Opening Day in question.

Right-hander Andrew Kittredge is dealing with right shoulder inflammation and won't be ready for Opening Day, though his IL stint is likely to be short.

Cano, Garcia and Wolfram pitched their way into bullpen roles this spring, while Enns is valuable as an additional lefty capable of working multi-inning stints, if needed. Kowar, who is out of Minor League options and has flashed velocity sitting around 98-99 mph, has an arm that intrigues the O's, who may not want to risk losing him by trying to pass him through waivers.