BALTIMORE—The Orioles’ pair of exciting wins this weekend over the reigning World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers were thrilling, and it remains to be seen if those wins can have a carryover effect.
In 2011, the Orioles ended their season by knocking the Boston Red Sox out of the playoffs and ending Terry Francona’s run in Boston.
That win by a team that lost 93 games seemed to catapult the Orioles to a joyous 2012 season and a 93-win year—a turnaround of 24 games.
Beating the Dodgers, who’ll still be in the postseason as either the National League West champs or a wild-card team, isn’t likely to have the same impact as the season-ending win in 2011, but could it set the team up for big things in 2026?
“Of course, I think as a group we’re going to be able to make an impact next year,” catcher Samuel Basallo said through a team translator. “As long as we stay healthy and continue to play good baseball the way we’ve been doing so now, we’re going to set ourselves up pretty nicely for next year.”
Basallo, who won Friday’s game with a two-out, two-strike ninth-inning home run, and outfielder Dylan Beavers are key components of the next wave of Oriole products.
After Basallo’s heroics, the 21-year-old, who last month signed an unprecedented extension for the Orioles, eight years for $67 million, injured his right hand after Ben Rortvedt’s foul ball hit him. He left the game and wasn’t able to play on Sunday.
Because of the injury, Basallo was just a spectator for that riveting four-run ninth inning rally that started with a two-out home run by Jackson Holliday that ended Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s bid for a no-hitter.
“I think we all played a role,” Basallo said. “Obviously, I wasn’t playing, but all of my teammates were there in the dugout supporting and trying to do what we could.”
Saturday night’s rally came three hours after the stirring 30th anniversary of Cal Ripken’s Jr.’s playing in his record-setting 2,131st consecutive game.
Every five years, Ripken and the Orioles mark the anniversary, and with Ripken turning 65 late last month there was a certain poignancy to the moment.
It’s been 20 years since Rafael Palmeiro had a sour ending to his Orioles career, but he was back and received a warm greeting from the sellout crowd. Even louder cheers were heard for Eddie Murray.
Jon Miller, who broadcast Ripken’s games for 14 years, took a night off from the San Francisco Giants to participate, and every Oriole watched intently from the dugout railing.
Trevor Rogers, who started Saturday night’s game, knew how important it was even if he wasn’t born until more than two years after 2,131.
“You’ve got to take the time and kind of take a step back from the mentality of the game and just take it in,” Rogers said. “How big of a day this was for the city, for this organization and what this day means to everybody, and just taking it in. Seeing some legends in the game of baseball and this organization, you just got to take it in and just play a kid’s game, and I get to see Cal Ripken Jr., Eddie Murray, freaking Palmeiro [Bobby] Bonilla.
“Not everyone gets to get to see that and gets to be a part of that and it was a very, very special night and I was just really glad we were able to get a win, just for the ramifications that tonight had.”
There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about next year. Having Rogers and Kyle Bradish, who’s started only twice since his return from June 2024 Tommy John surgery, to anchor the top of the rotation is a good start, and a full season of Basallo and Beavers would be great, too.
Jackson Holliday has been showing signs of growth at second base, and is another key component, but injuries to Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg have prevented them flourishing this year, and Colton Cowser missed two months of the season and has underperformed.
Unlike 2011, when the Orioles had veteran manager, Buck Showalter, they don’t know who their manager will be for 2026.
Perhaps the team’s recent play has convinced executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias that interim manager Tony Mansolino deserves a shot at the full-time job—or maybe Elias looks for a manager with more experience.
Elias will have a busy offseason. There’s a rotation to augment, a bullpen to build and outfielders to acquire.
He’ll have to decide whether Grayson Rodriguez’s future is still in the rotation or as a possible closer. The Orioles don’t have a closer for next year with Félix Bautista’s rotator cuff and labrum surgery keeping him out for at least a year.
The bullpen has surprised this month with a 1.26 ERA in 28 2/3 innings. While scouts have kind words to say about right-hander Kade Strowd, he’ll be one of a whole host of candidates for the ’26 pen.
Jeremiah Jackson has come, seemingly from nowhere to force himself onto next year’s roster, and maybe the last 19 games will present some more candidates. If not, the Orioles will always have this weekend to savor.
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