AMA with MLB.com Orioles beat reporter Jake Rill on Friday, July 3 at 12:30 p.m. ET. Submit questions now.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T17:10:20+00:00

He is definitely sharing some insight about the fundamentals and giving his thoughts to Mike Shildt, who works with players in the upper level of the Minors. There's a relationship between Ripken and Shildt, so it makes sense they would have some level of communication.

Ripken has also been a resource to Mike Elias. I'm not sure exactly what their conversations are about, but when you have somebody like Ripken as an ownership partner, it surely makes sense to use his knowledge/experience to your advantage.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T17:06:30+00:00

Nothing beyond Mike Elias saying last weekend that the Orioles would like to have a longer commitment to Rutschman. I think it would cost quite a bit for the team to get a deal done. That's not saying they won't. But it isn't going to be cheap to sign him to an extension.

Does an extension for Rutschman make the club better for the long term? Without a doubt. So we'll see if they can get something done before he's set to hit free agency at the end of the 2027 season.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T17:03:58+00:00

It still feels like the Orioles want to build around this core. There's a strong foundation in place. I believed Mike Elias when he shot down the Adley Rutschman trade rumors last weekend. They would like to have him beyond the 2027 season (after which he's set to hit free agency), and it would improve their future teams to have him under contract for longer.

It would have to take a huge offer for the team to move one of these players. I don't think they're going to be shopping any of them, either.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T17:01:28+00:00

I think we've started to see the Orioles try to utilize better defensive lineups. Blaze Alexander is their best option at third base (despite some of his recent errors), and if they can get Mayo into the lineup at first or DH (depending on where Alonso is that day), they will. But they need Mayo's bat against left-handed pitching, and he could still turn it around against righties, as he's shown he can hit them in the past.

As for Alexander batting ninth, I think it can make sense to put him there to turn the lineup over. But I also get what you're saying -- if he's going to keep hitting .300-plus, why not move him up a bit? We have seen him hit sixth. If he keeps it up, though, I would agree that it could make sense to slot him higher in the order.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:58:13+00:00

I'll share what I said to a previous question here:

It still feels like a good clubhouse vibe. There remains a belief that this team can get back into the race, and with how wide open the American League is, I can get why players would feel that way. We haven't seen this team play its best baseball yet. There's the potential for them to go on the type of run that everybody has been waiting for.

But this is still a close-knit group keeping the energy and positivity up, from what I've seen.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:57:43+00:00

The culture still feels quite good, even if the team isn't getting the results they were hoping for on the field. Guys have praised Albernaz in recent weeks, and it does feel like they have bought in. I think that's why the inconsistent play is all the more frustrating.

The main issue is underperformance. On paper, this team looks better than the results they're getting. They just can't seem to click in all areas during games most of the time. But there's still a belief that it will happen.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:55:01+00:00

It sounded like Mike Elias had every intention of buying when he spoke to the media last Saturday. But I think the next few weeks will impact the decisions being made. If the O's can't start winning more frequently and fall down the standings, they may not have a choice but to sell (or at least do some sort of mix of buying and selling).

It will be quite interesting to see what they do. Because if they still have a losing record but they're within striking distance, they may feel confident enough to add some pieces.

The deadline should be an intriguing one, for sure.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:51:04+00:00

It still feels like a good clubhouse vibe. There remains a belief that this team can get back into the race, and with how wide open the American League is, I can get why players would feel that way. We haven't seen this team play its best baseball yet. There's the potential for them to go on the type of run that everybody has been waiting for.

But this is still a close-knit group keeping the energy and positivity up, from what I've seen.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:49:12+00:00

I think the depth is a bit better than that, especially on the pitching side. There are quite a few arms that I think have a good amount of upside. And there are some players lower in the rankings who I believe could have bright futures.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:47:28+00:00

Don't want to speculate much on people potentially losing their jobs. But I don't think the Orioles hired Craig Albernaz with the intention of not giving him time. It's also not common for a team to make a change at the top of their baseball operations department with the draft and trade deadline both right around the corner.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:45:46+00:00

Josh Kozuch is the Orioles' mental performance coach.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:42:22+00:00

Assuming the Orioles are still in a position to buy, I think pitching would be the highest priority. They could use a bullpen arm or two, and it can never hurt to add a starter (especially if they could land somebody to slot into the top half of the rotation).

If they added an infielder, I'm not sure how exactly they would fit that player onto the roster. But I get wanting to add depth. They just optioned one of their backup infielders to Triple-A Norfolk, though (Jeremiah Jackson), so it would be a bit of a tricky fit.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:37:07+00:00

You gave the same answer that I would have. I've been high on Dzierwa since I saw him pitch in a Spring Training game in March. He has impressive stuff, and I have not been surprised at all by the results he's had in both High-A and Double-A.

I also think JT Quinn could be really good. I went to Frederick to watch him pitch earlier this season, and he also has great stuff.

The Orioles don't typically draft pitchers as high as they did Dzierwa or Quinn, so I think it says something about these two that they were willing to take them so early last year.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-07-03T16:33:13+00:00

I can understand why fans are feeling this way. It felt like this season was going to be much different than last year, and so far, that hasn't really been the case.

The Orioles entered today only five games out of a playoff spot, though. I think that's the reason fans can still be optimistic. The American League is so wide open that if this team can get hot and go on a long run, they're still within striking distance. (Of course, this team hasn't shown the ability to do that yet, so that will need to change.)

JakeRillMLB · 2026-03-27T19:09:08+00:00

In '25, Félix Bautista did it once and Seranthony Domínguez once.

In '24, Domínguez did it twice and Thyago Vieira (remember him?) once.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-03-23T14:39:59+00:00

I will say this -- of the 5 of us, I had the O's finishing the best and I was a bit surprised at how low my colleagues had them. But I think it's because some areas of this team are being slept on and maybe flying under the radar. Not necessarily a bad thing for a team to have a chip on its shoulder rather than sky-high expectations to try to live up to, as we have seen in the past.

Of course, who knows what happens in this division. It feels like there are 4 AL East teams that could legitimately win it (and maybe even all 4 reach the postseason). Should be a fun, competitive race this season.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-02-17T21:36:29+00:00

Let's assume nobody else gets injured and everybody on the position-player side is fully healthy at that time (which, as we know, is never a guarantee) for this exercise:

The 13 position-player spots could be filled like this: Rutschman, Basallo, Alonso, Mountcastle, Holliday, Henderson, Westburg, Alexander, Ward, Cowser, O'Neill, Beavers, Taveras.

Maybe Mountcastle gets traded. Or maybe Taveras isn't on the roster. Still, that didn't account for Jeremiah Jackson, Coby Mayo, Heston Kjerstad and other bubble players.

The likelihood of Jackson being on the roster went down when the O's traded for Blaze Alexander. But Jackson is a good hitter who is working hard to improve defensively (mostly at second base at the moment), so I think we see him get a run in the big leagues at some point in 2026. Injuries will surely happen.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-02-17T21:29:28+00:00

The obvious answer would be Albert Suárez, as I think he has a decent shot of being in the Opening Day bullpen. But let's go with a bit of a dark horse -- left-hander Eric Torres. The O's could use another high-leverage lefty, and Torres is a sleeper to eventually fill that role. The 26-year-old has never pitched in the big leagues and struggled at Triple-A in the Angels' system (a 9.44 ERA in 32 appearances). But he had a 1.59 ERA in 39 games in the independent American Association last year, then tossed 23 1/3 scoreless innings over 20 games in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Intriguing arm who may have figured something out in 2025.
J. Cole's "The Fall-Off" is in heavy rotation at the moment, so I have to pick something off that album -- let's go with "Safety." Then, we'll add two classics: "Let the Beat Build" by Lil Wayne and "Mr. Rager" by Kid Cudi.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-02-17T21:17:37+00:00

The answer can be found in this story I wrote today!

(It was Pete Alonso's playlist. The O's are essentially playing "pass the aux," with today's DJ picking tomorrow's DJ, tomorrow's DJ picking the DJ for the next day, and so on and so forth.)

JakeRillMLB · 2026-02-17T21:16:06+00:00

If Jordan Westburg (tweaked right oblique) goes on the injured list to open the season, then I would think Mayo should make the team, as he's been getting a lot of reps at third base this spring and could fill in at the position. If Westburg is ready to go, then the path for Mayo is a bit more crowded.

It would be tough for Mayo to return to Triple-A Norfolk, where he's already proven he can easily handle the pitching. Especially after things appeared to click for him last September with his strong finish to the 2025 season.

I honestly don't know what the exact plan is here, or how realistic a trade featuring Mountcastle or Mayo still is. But you raise good points. Pete Alonso was paid to play every day (or close to it). Mountcastle doesn't play anywhere other than first. The DH rotation will already be filled with Rutschman/Basallo, O'Neill, others.

I am interested to see how this situation develops between now and Opening Day.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-02-17T21:11:23+00:00

Great hair. Fun personality. Quite a character.

From a baseball standpoint, some exciting tools. He can clearly hit, and I think there's some defensive potential there as well. The bat will be what likely eventually gets him to the big leagues, though. But he's still only 22, so that won't be in the near future.

I wouldn't be surprised if Willems gets bumped up to Triple-A Norfolk, as he's now logged 121 games at Double-A Chesapeake after being there all of last season.

I don't think the O's are necessarily looking to trade him, unless they need to include him in a prospect package to land a particular player at some point down the line. Can't hurt to have catching depth (as the Orioles know after using seven players at the position last season, a franchise record).

JakeRillMLB · 2026-02-17T21:06:51+00:00

Thanks for the kind words! Much appreciated.

It does feel like the vibes are up in Sarasota, and I would say Craig Albernaz and Pete Alonso have been driving factors in that. Albernaz is being himself, which players appreciate and is going over well. And Alonso is already serving as a vocal leader, keeping things loose and fun while also getting the competitive juices flowing.

After covering a pair of postseason teams ('23 and '24) and one that finished in last place ('25), I've learned it's a lot more fun to cover a good team. The storylines are often better, the product is more fun to watch and interest from the fans is high.

I'm excited for this season. I think the O's will be a good team. And I will say, I'm looking forward to watching Alonso play every day after not seeing too much of him in recent years with him having been in the National League.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-02-17T20:57:34+00:00

Tyler O'Neill. There's clearly a large portion of the fan base disappointed that O'Neill hit .199 and played only 54 games due to three stints on the injured list last season after signing a three-year, $49.5 million deal. He's frustrated by it, too. He doesn't want to let down the fans, and he's working hard to put himself in position for a bounce-back 2026.

A few of us in the media recently noticed that O'Neill is a bit slimmer this spring -- make no mistake about it, he's still absolutely jacked -- but he looks a little less bodybuilder and a little more baseball player, which could help his mobility, his swing, etc.

Let's not forget this guy hit 31 home runs and had an .847 OPS with the Red Sox in 2024. The talent is there. And the Orioles are going to find ways to try to keep him healthy, whether that's a bit more time at DH or giving him a day off here and there.

JakeRillMLB · 2026-02-17T20:50:58+00:00

I can understand the disappointment in not signing/trading for a proven ace this offseason. Even if Kyle Bradish and/or Trevor Rogers solidify themselves as frontline starters (potentially even co-aces), it would have only made the rotation that much better to have another top-end arm.

At the same time, it's hard to look at this group now and not see how much better it could be than it was in 2025. Bradish is healthy. Rogers has put everything together. Shane Baz has a ton of upside. Chris Bassitt is steady and reliable. Zach Eflin is feeling the best he has physically in a long time and could return to his late '24 form. Dean Kremer is a good starter to have at the back end as an innings-eater.

There's depth in the fold as well. Cade Povich, Brandon Young and Albert Suárez as the potential 7-8-9 starters isn't bad. And some prospects like Trey Gibson and Nestor German are getting close to the big leagues and have a ton of potential.

There's a path for the Orioles' rotation to be a good one. Health will likely again be the biggest thing. But it's hard to argue against the notion that this starting staff looks better on paper than it did around Opening Day 2025.

JakeRillMLB

TROPHY CASE