The Orioles had a haunting 2025 season, finishing with a 75-87 record. They made a few moves in the offseason, including securing Pete Alonso. A $155 million contract was supposed to buy the Orioles a new future, but for Alonso, it’s only bought him a .176 batting average and a share of the blame for a familiar team slump.
“Results-wise, yeah, it’s unacceptable for me, and I will be better. … I feel bad. A lot of people believe in me, and I believe in myself, but I’m not delivering results. I will. I just haven’t. But I will,” Alonso said after the Orioles’ loss to the Giants on Friday.
Alonso was coming off a stellar season last year. He slashed .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs, 126 RBI, and 41 doubles in 162 games for the Mets. Moreover, he also set career highs in batting average, hits (170), and doubles. So, expectations were high when the Orioles signed the Polar Bear. But he is yet to fire up this season. On Friday, he went 0-for-3 with a walk.
As the Orioles’ cleanup hitter, Alonso’s bat is expected to be a big part of Baltimore’s offense in 2026 and beyond. In reality, the Orioles have scored a mere 3.7 runs per game in their first 13 games this year.
That’s enough reason to get frustrated.
However, the only hope is that Alonso promised to deliver results soon. And history says he could. Remember how he made a comeback from his 13-game home run drought back in 2023? That year, by mid-July, his season average had plummeted to .203. But in late July, he hit .400 over an eight-game stretch and recorded two multi-home run games in four days. He eventually finished the season with 46 home runs and 118 RBIs.
While there’s still time left before hitting the panic button, the situation is scarier in terms of the entire Orioles lineup. They are currently ranked 2nd in the AL East, but the credit goes to the Red Sox’s poor form. Once the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Rays come out of their rough patch, the Orioles will return to their 2025 scene.
And if their on-field slump was not enough, the expanding injury list is making things worse. Zach Eflin underwent Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season. Jackson Holliday is in rehab and expected to return later this month. Andrew Kittredge, who had a 3.40 ERA last year, was also placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. He began a rehab assignment in early April.
So, the Orioles’ issues go beyond Pete Alonso, and fans know how early-season slumps spell doom for Baltimore.
The Orioles’ 2026 struggle goes beyond Pete Alonso
Pete Alonso is struggling, but he is hopeful he will regain his form soon. And as history has proven, it’s believable. But the Orioles’ early-season slump? History is not on their side.
Last year, they posted a 9-16 record through April, and that gap stayed throughout the regular season. This year, the major blame for their struggle goes to the lack of power hitting. The Orioles are currently ranked 27th in terms of hitting home runs. They have hit just 9 home runs in their first 13 games.
Moreover, the early-inning struggles have been particularly hard to swallow for a team that has hit much better late in games. Heading into the White Sox series, the O’s offense had a .200 average with a .554 OPS and six combined runs in the first three innings of games. Consequently, the failure of key players like Alonso to produce early in games is impacting the team.
And not only their offense, but their defense is also taking a toll. In the first 13 games, the Orioles’ pitching staff walked approximately 4.25 batters per 9 innings. In addition, Baltimore’s ERA this season is 4.09 through its first 13 games. And the worst part is that their ERA in the 2nd inning is 15.00. So, the Orioles are just repeating the same script as last year.
Pete Alonso was the differentiating factor this season, but as his slump continues, the Orioles are far from dominating on the field.
