O's turn focus to fundamentals & execution amid tough start to '26

PITTSBURGH -- This wasn’t how things were supposed to go for the Orioles. They appeared ready to leave the trials and tribulations experienced during their challenging 2025 season in the past and return to the ways of the postseason teams of ‘23 and ‘24.

The results were expected to be better. The energy was going to be up. Baseball was about to become fun again in Baltimore.

Make no mistake about it, all of that could still become true. The Orioles are only 5.6% of the way through a 162-game season, so there’s plenty of time for this team to reach its full potential.

But this has been a difficult start, with an early hole already forming that will need to be climbed out of. The O’s are 3-6 after their 8-2 loss on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park, where the Pirates completed a three-game sweep and handed the Orioles their fifth loss in six games.

• Here's what O's must correct to turn around tough start to '26

A bad start can snowball and turn into much worse. Of course, Baltimore fans don’t need to be reminded of that. They experienced the frustration along with the team last season, and it began early.

“We don’t need to hit the panic button yet;” “We can turn it around at any time;” “We’re not panicking in the clubhouse.”

Those were all things said by members of the Orioles on April 9, 2025, when the team fell to 5-8. Manager Brandon Hyde was dismissed a little more than a month later, the O’s never got going and they ended 75-87 for a last-place finish in the American League East.

The 2026 version of this club will need to put a stop to this soon. Baltimore has started 3-6 or worse 20 times in team history (since 1954). Of the previous 19 occurrences, the Orioles only went on to reach the postseason once (‘79). However, other teams have faced much larger deficits in seasons that turned out to be successful.

“Just because you have a slow start doesn’t mean anything toward the end. There’s plenty of teams that have proven that over the course of time,” first baseman Pete Alonso said. “It’d be great to go out and win nine in a row, or however many games. But this is a marathon, and we have plenty of opportunities and chances to get better and win a lot of ballgames.”

Alonso knows what he said is true, because the 31-year-old slugger has lived it. Know what the Mets’ record was after nine games in 2024? 3-6. Know where they ended up? At 89-73, a mark that earned them a National League Wild Card berth.

Manager Craig Albernaz has been here before, too. Last year, he was the associate manager of the Guardians, who opened the season with a nine-game record of -- believe it or not -- 3-6 as well. They finished 88-74 and as AL Central champions.

“It’s a long season, it’s a marathon season. But the biggest thing for us this year is we still have a lot of work to do,” Albernaz said. “We’re trying to redefine ourselves as getting back to fundamental baseball, playing clean baseball, doing the little things right -- and we’re still not done. We still have to get better, and that’s on myself and the coaching staff to keep on pushing our guys to get better each day, especially in those areas.”

There have been quite a few issues so far. The Orioles aren’t scoring enough runs, averaging 3.8 per game and being held to two runs or fewer five times. Their rotation isn’t pitching up to its potential, such as veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt, who allowed six runs over two innings on Sunday and has a 14.21 ERA through his first two starts for Baltimore.

“A slower start to the season than we wanted,” utility man Blaze Alexander said, “ in just all aspects.”

However, the biggest concern is what Albernaz referred to -- the recent inability to play clean, fundamental baseball. The defense hasn’t been great, and even more so than that, little things are adding up and causing major problems. (For example, Jeremiah Jackson was late covering the bag at first base on Jake Mangum’s bunt single during a four-run rally in the second.)

For the O’s to play better, they’ll likely need to play cleaner. They’ll need to be crisper.

“Obviously, there's a team focus, but it also has to come down to the individual execution,” Alonso said. “We can do all the things, we can do all the practice, take all the ground balls, take all the swings in the cage, take all the swings on the field during our BP time. But just because you put in the work doesn't necessarily guarantee execution. It comes down to individual efforts, concentration and execution when the moment comes.”

And if the Orioles can concentrate and execute, then 2026 may not end up like 2025. This team can be better, even if it’s difficult to feel that way right now.