The Bat Around

The Orioles...ugh! Same number of losses on May 3rd, 2026 as they had on May 3rd, 2025. Gunnar Henderson has the third most K's in the American League. Tyler O'Neill has 1 XBH. Colton Cowser went from 5th overall pick and ROY runner-up to 5th outfielder. Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg haven't sniffed a big league diamond. Jeremiah Jackson hasn't met a pitch he doesn't want to swing at. 3/6 of your starting rotation is on the IL, as are your two All-Star closers. The Orioles are bad, and we're stuck with them. Paul and Zack try to wrap their brains around it next on The Bat Around

A 3-3 week for the Birds against teams with two of the worst records in baseball. The Royals gave them all they could handle, but the Orioles managed to eek out a series win. Then Boston, and a 6 HR, 20 hit performance by the hometown boys in a 10-3 win in game one, only to be undone by a 17-1 loss Saturday and a lifeless 5-3 defeat Sunday. To make matters worse, Boston was ripe for the picking after firing basically their entire coaching staff, including manager Alex Cora, but the Orioles still fell flat on their faces, save for Gunnar and Basallo. The problems still abound: starting pitchers can't locate, Pete Alonso can't hit, and the offense runs stagnant. Different series, same issues. Will it ever end? Paul and Zach talk you through it on The Bat Around.

As we said last week, what a difference a week makes. The Orioles looked awful all week, losing 5 of 7 games to Arizona and Cleveland. In fact, the only two wins required 4+ run comebacks in the 7th inning and beyond. They don't hit early in the game, they play shoddy, fundamentally flawed defense, and most of the pitching staff has seemingly never heard of a shutdown inning. Why has the roster almost completely turned over and yet the same issues remain for this team? Paul and Zach take a deep dive into that and more on The Bat Around.

A week ago, the Orioles were licking their wounds following a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates, dropping them to 3-6 on the young season. But what a difference a week makes! Gunnar has gone nuts, the bullpen has been stellar, and the Orioles won 5 of 6 to put them in a 3-way tie with the Yankees and Rays atop the AL East. Paul and Zach discuss how they got there and what's next. Plus, the injuries are mounting. Do the O's have the depth to sustain them? That and more on The Bat Around!

Baseball is officially back and the Orioles are off to a solid start after taking two of three from the Twins in Baltimore. What went right? What went wrong? Paul and Zach give their takes on the season-opening series, as well as their thoughts on the 5 year extension for Shane Baz. Plus, the Orioles do something in game three that they didn't do all last season! That and more on The Bat Around!

The time has come! The regular season is nearly upon us with Opening Day just 4 days away! Who will fill the few remaining roster spots for the club? How does the bullpen set up? And what is the Orioles plan if Dylan Beavers isn't set to begin the year after coming up with knee soreness over the weekend? Plus, Paul and Zach give their AL East and MLB predictions for the 2026 season. That and more on The Bat Around!

Spring is in the air! The WBC classic is going strong with the US playing in the semifinals as we speak, and we're under two weeks from Opening Day! On tonight's show, Paul & Zach discuss Team USA, Adley Rutschman, and Coby Mayo. Is Mark DeRosa really that clueless? Do the Orioles go as Adley goes? Did Mayo's swing adjustments make him a force to be reckoned with? The guys discuss that and more on The Bat Around!

We're halfway through Spring Training and Spring sure is in the air! The clocks have rolled forward, the birds are chirping, Gunnar is smacking 4 base hits in meaningful games! And, the Orioles sure are baseballin' down there in Sarasota! Aside from the Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday news to start camp, it's been a quiet ST to this point, and with a new manager, new star power, and a last place finish still letting off fumes, that's probably exactly how the Orioles want it. The Axe-Man, Dillon Atkinson, fills in for Zach to talk all things baseball on The Bat Around!

With the World Baseball Classic beginning this coming week, Enrique Bradfield made sure to leave a lasting impression before he joins Team Netherlands. The former first round pick was a menace on the basepaths on Sunday while also making an eye-popping catch in RF in the Orioles 8-7 victory, showing the elite speed and range that made him a top draft pick for the club. Plus, Heston Kjerstad and Samuel Basallo put on a show, reaching base in all six plate appearances before coming out of the came. How much can this trio impact the big league club this season? Paul and Zach discuss that and more on The Bat Around!

Well, the news just keeps getting worse for Jordan Westburg, as his oblique strain looks like a cramp now that a partial tear to his right UCL has taken center stage. Out through April at a minimum, the Orioles--and Westburg--hope that a PRP injection will salvage his season, otherwise it looks like Tommy John Surgery for the former All-Star. Paul & Zach discuss the impact Westburg's injury will have, and what it means for Coby Mayo. Plus, the Polar Bear has played two games and has hit two HRs. So far, so good? And does Heston Kjerstad have a chance to make this roster? Find out that and more on The Bat Around!

It's officially the 2026 Baseball Season as The Bat Around is back to it's normal time slot of 8:30 PM Sunday Nights. And you know what that means...Zach Moore is back! Paul and Zach get you primed for the Grapefruit League schedule which is set to begin on Friday. Does Chris Bassitt put the Orioles over the top? Do you believe Mike Elias when he says Blaze Alexander's acquisition was a lucky coincidence, or is the VP and de facto GM spinning another yarn to cover up Holliday's hamate bone injury? Plus, Jordan Westburg slept funny again and will miss time this spring with an oblique strain. SOMEBODY GET THIS MAN A TEMPURPEDIC! And what do these injuries mean for Coby Mayo? That and more on The Bat Around!

*Power went out at about the 1:16 mark in the show. To hear the end, skip to 1:20* Spring Training is just days away, and the Orioles are improved heading into 2026, but just how improved are they? The offense should get a boost with the additions of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward, but did the team do enough to address the holes in the rotation and bullpen? Framber Valdez was the last big arm on the market and he signed with Detroit, leaving the Orioles to sort through the bargain bin for another rotation piece. Was Mike Elias caught sitting on his hands after stating they wanted to add a top of the rotation piece, or is their more to the story? Jeremy Conn of 105.7 The Fan's Big Bad Morning Show joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!

The Hot Stove has followed the weather patterns here in Maryland, as things have gotten ice cold for the Baltimore Orioles. After starting the offseason with a flurry of moves like Taylor Ward, Pete Alonso, Ryan Helsley, and Andrew Kittredge, the Orioles have left multiple boxes unchecked with less than two weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota. The needs? Another starting pitcher (preferably an ace), a power lefty in the 'pen, and perhaps a centerfielder? Are they really planning on Leodys Taveras being a role player on this team? Ryan Blake is back for one more show as he joins Paul to discuss this and more on The Bat Around!

The Bat Around is back for good, with shows today and each of the next two Saturdays (1/31, 2/7) before returning to 8:30 PM Sundays beginning Sunday, February 15th. Today, Ryan Blake fills in for Zach Moore to discuss the Orioles offseason, if they're done making moves, potential lineups, and if this team is good enough to contend as currently constructed. Plus, are the Dodgers ruining baseball, or just playing within the constructs of the current CBA? Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!

The holidays have come and gone, and the hot stove has cooled with the frigid temperatures of January arriving. But Spring Training, the WBC, and Opening Day are right around the corner, and the Orioles have revamped an already talented albeit underperforming roster as they look to take a massive step forward and return to the postseason in 2026. Griffin Bass fills in for Zach Moore as he joins Paul to discuss the offseason so far and compare the Orioles to the rest of the division. Have they done enough to over take the Beasts of the East, or does Mike Elias have another trick up his sleeve? That and more on The Bat Around!

It's a new era in Baltimore! The Orioles made the biggest splash of the last 20+ years at this year's Winter Meetings, signing slugging first baseman, Pete Alonso, to a five year, $155 million contract to fortify the middle of the order and give the O's one of baseball's best lineups. And with Mike Elias's comments that they have an "unlimited budget," it would appear the team is far from finished adding to this roster. Dillon Atkinson fills in for Zach Moore as he and Paul react to this huge signing and opine on what's to come. All that and more on The Bat Around!

The Winter Meetings begin in earnest tomorrow, and the Orioles are already making waves as they look to bounce back from a miserable 2025 season and make their way back to the postseason in 2026. Taylor Ward and Ryan Helsley have been brought in to revitalize the lineup and the backend of the bullpen, and a reunion with Andrew Kittredge adds more solid backend bullpen help. But the Orioles don't seem to be close to done and have been seriously linked to just about all the big names out there. Framber Valdez, Michael King, Ranger Suare, Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Alonso. Could one or multiple of these players be running down the orange carpet on March 26th? Paul and Zach get into that and more on our Winter Meetings Preview right here on The Bat Around!

The offseason is in full swing, and the Orioles have been one of the most active teams as we approach December. Former first round pick and top pitching prospect, Grayson Rodriguez, is now an Angel with Taylor Ward coming to the Orioles in return. Did the Orioles get better, or did they give up too much for a hitter with one year of control remaining? Are the Orioles still in the market for another bat, and what does Grayson's departure mean for the rest of the pitching staff? Zach Moore is back to discuss that and more with Paul on The Bat Around!

The World Series is over, and what a Series it was! The Dodgers stormed back from down 3-2 in the series and 4-1 in Game 7 to win in 11 innings. It was a Will Smith solo HR in the 11th and 2.2 shutout innings in relief from Yoshinobu Yamamoto a day after throwing 96 pitches that led the Dodgers to their second straight title and third since 2020. For the rest of us, it means the offseason can start in earnest as free agency begins Thursday. The Orioles have their new manager, inking former Cleveland Guardians Associate Manager Craig Albernaz as the 21st manager in franchise history. What's next for Birdland? Andrew Stetka joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!

The season is over after today, and your Baltimore Orioles are crawling to the finish after two straight lackluster performances against the hated Yankees. What went right this season (not much), and what went wrong (just about everything). Zach is back with Paul to close out the 2025 Orioles season on The Bat Around.