The Orioles walked into Yankee Stadium on Friday carrying the kind of quiet that follows an October door closing. Baltimore had been knocked out of postseason contention during Thursday’s open date, when Chicago’s win in Kansas City reduced the club’s playoff chances to zero. With three games left against the Yankees, the Orioles were 78-81 and playing only to finish the season professionally.
| Orioles season snapshot | Figure |
|---|---|
| Record entering Friday | 78-81 |
| Last time at .500 | 69-69 on Aug. 31 |
| September skid after reaching .500 | 6 losses |
| Postseason appearances | 2023, 2024 |
| Postseason misses | 2025, 2026 |
Manager Craig Albernaz gathered the club in the visitors’ clubhouse before the opener and did not try to dress up the moment. The Orioles had missed their target, he told the players, and nobody wanted to carry this feeling into another winter. Albernaz also put responsibility on himself, saying he must make adjustments that help produce more wins, while asking each player to identify the small areas he can improve and attack them during the offseason.
The manager’s message was built around the margins. If the staff and roster each improve those areas, Albernaz said, Baltimore should be in a stronger place next season.
A season that never found its footing
Baltimore had entered 2026 expecting to rebound after missing the playoffs in 2025. Instead, the club never put together enough sustained winning baseball to climb over .500. After dropping to 9-9 on April 15, the Orioles did not own a winning record at any point for the rest of the season.
They finally returned to even at 69-69 on Aug. 31, but six straight losses to begin September erased that opportunity. The third American League Wild Card race remained unusually available into the final weeks, keeping Baltimore alive longer than its overall play might have allowed in a more crowded field.
Outfielder Colton Cowser said the clubhouse understood the missed chance. He said the group never felt it had played its best baseball for an extended stretch, and that the softer landscape in the American League made the outcome more frustrating. In his view, the Orioles did not capitalize on a season in which a playoff berth was within reach.
Alonso sets the standard
Pete Alonso, signed to a five-year, $155 million contract in December, has become Baltimore’s leading voice as well as its top performer on the field. The 31-year-old first baseman was blunt about elimination: the club’s standard is not merely reaching October, but making a serious championship push.
Alonso said the Orioles had individual standouts and memorable moments, but the collective result fell short of what the organization expects. Baltimore did not even earn a place in the postseason field, much less give itself a chance to chase the trophy it wants.
There is still a weekend to complete in the Bronx before the roster scatters for the winter. Players will take time to reset and review the year, and the front office will have decisions ahead through trades and free agency. The 2027 Orioles will not look exactly the same.
Still, Cowser said he believes the club can be in a very good position next year. Alonso echoed that confidence, while making the assignment clear: Baltimore’s players must be better, and the expectation remains to become a great team.
