What to watch for during Orioles' September stretch

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

DENVER -- October baseball is the best of the year. But September baseball is a lot of fun, too, especially for fans of teams in the midst of a postseason race.

It’s been a bit of a bumpy road for the 2026 Orioles to this point, but they’re now in a heated battle for the third American League Wild Card berth amid crowded competition. Baltimore is 69-69 and only a half-game out.

Here’s a breakdown of the O’s remaining opponents (with their records) and what to watch for during the final month of the regular season.

Rockies (52-86)
When/where: Monday-Wednesday at Coors Field
Head-to-head: Orioles lead, 1-0
Postseason implications: The Rockies have the worst record in the National League. So, this is an opportune time for the Orioles to keep up their positive momentum and collect some more wins before heading home.
Something to watch: A familiar face will take the mound for Wednesday afternoon’s finale, as Colorado right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano will face his former team for the first time. The 36-year-old Japanese starter was an MLB rookie for the O’s last year and has a 5.23 ERA in 24 starts for the Rox this season.

Red Sox (75-63)
When/where: Thursday-Sunday at Camden Yards
Head-to-head: Red Sox lead, 5-4
Postseason implications: Boston is sitting in the AL’s second Wild Card spot, so this clash of AL East rivals means a lot for both teams. It remains possible that the Red Sox and Orioles could end up tied in the standings, so in order for the O’s to own the tiebreaker, they need to win at least three of four during this series.
Something to watch: Adley Rutschman has played 283 games at Camden Yards, but this will be his first series in Baltimore as a visiting player. The 28-year-old catcher was traded to Boston at the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline and will try to spoil the playoff hopes of his former teammates.

Guardians (69-68)
When/where: Sept. 7-9 at Camden Yards
Head-to-head: Guardians lead, 3-1
Postseason implications: This has the potential to be one of Baltimore’s more important series down the stretch, as Cleveland has emerged among the front-runners in the battle for the third AL Wild Card spot. However, the only way the O’s can seal the tiebreaker over the Guardians is by sweeping this three-game set.
Something to watch: Expect some friendly revenge from Orioles manager Craig Albernaz toward Guardians skipper Stephen Vogt. When Albernaz (Vogt’s former bench coach) arrived at Progressive Field in mid-April, the visiting manager’s office had been filled with kid-sized furniture and decor.

Blue Jays (68-70)
When/where: Sept. 11-13 at Rogers Centre; Sept. 21-23 at Camden Yards
Head-to-head: Blue Jays lead, 4-3
Postseason implications: The Orioles play more games against the Blue Jays than any other opponent the rest of the way, as the AL East rivals still have a pair of three-game sets remaining. Both teams are in the thick of the race, so all of these games could matter. In order to win the tiebreaker over Toronto, Baltimore must go 4-2 or better between these series.
Something to watch: Colton Cowser has been a tough matchup for the Blue Jays this season, as the 26-year-old outfielder is hitting .429 (9-for-21) with one double, three homers, seven RBIs and a 1.359 OPS in seven games against them. So, he could be a key to these series.

Mets (62-76)
When/where: Sept. 14-16 at Citi Field
Head-to-head: Tied, 0-0
Postseason implications: The Mets will likely be looking to play spoiler, as it would take an impressive run for them to get back into the NL Wild Card race. The Orioles will look to capitalize against what could be the only sub-.500 team they play after Sept. 2.
Something to watch: For the first time since signing a five-year, $155 million deal with the O’s this past December, Pete Alonso is returning to Citi Field to face his former team. The Polar Bear, who played 1,008 games for the Mets over seven seasons, will face them for the first time.

Brewers (85-53)
When/where: Sept. 18-20 at Camden Yards
Head-to-head: Tied, 0-0
Postseason implications: Could the Brewers have already clinched a postseason berth and/or the NL Central title by this point? Maybe. But they should have at least seeding to play for, so this could be quite the test for the O’s.
Something to watch: The Orioles will make their lone appearance of the season on Sunday Night Baseball on Sept. 20. The Ravens will be playing an NFL Week 2 matchup vs. the Saints earlier in the day, marking a rare occurrence that Baltimore’s two professional sports teams will play regular-season home games on the same day.

Yankees (78-60)
When/where: Sept. 25-27 at Yankee Stadium
Head-to-head: Yankees lead, 8-2
Postseason implications: The Yankees could still be competing for the AL East title by this point, or they may be trying to secure a Wild Card berth. Either way, these games should matter for New York. It will be interesting to see if they’re still important for Baltimore by this point.
Something to watch: The Bronx wasn’t a friendly environment for the Orioles from May 1-4, as they got swept in four games by the Yankees while getting outscored 39-10. They’ll hope for better results to end the regular season.