Orioles projected to bounce back after a disappointing 2025 season

There is no denying that the 2025 season was a disaster for the Baltimore Orioles. They weren't able to get much going at all last season, which led to the firing of Brandon Hyde in mid-May. 

The club will now be led by Craig Albernaz, who had recently spent the 2025 season as the associate manager of the Cleveland Guardians. 

However, he is not the only new face coming to Baltimore. The front office made it its mission to stay busy all winter long, trying to put the best product they can on the field for the 2026 season. 

MORE: Orioles get Gunnar Henderson extension update before Opening Day

Orioles projected to bounce back after a disappointing 2025 season

Baltimore brought in eight new players over the winter. They traded for Andrew Kittredge, Blaze Alexander, Shane Baz, and Taylor Ward while signing Leody Taveras, Ryan Helsley, Chris Bassitt, and Pete Alonso.

They were able to make upgrades both on the pitching side of things and offensively, and they could be a problem for the rest of the AL East. 

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly is high on this club and predicts that they have a real shot to win the division. 

"The O's were a playoff team in 2023 and 2024, before plummeting in the standings a year ago. They should see the largest year-over-year improvement in terms of victories this season, with a real chance that they win baseball's most competitive division."

For the O's to do this, they will have to be sharp from the very start and avoid any major injuries. The Toronto Blue Jays will come out firing, and so will the Boston Red Sox. And, you can never rule out the New York Yankees, but they will likely need Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon to return before they can really dig their feet in. 

The AL East is full of teams that have a legitimate shot to win the division. This could be a battle all season long that fans will want to pay attention to.

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