The 26 players who will run down the orange carpet on Thursday are now set. The Orioles finalized their opening day roster by deciding the final bullpen spots, the outfield configuration and the infield depth.

Most of the roster was set in stone already. There was no doubt about the likes of Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson. But the fringe positions needed deciding, and those final spots go to infielder Jeremiah Jackson and right-handers Anthony Nunez and Yaramil Hiraldo.

The Orioles had room in the bullpen due to an injury to left-hander Keegan Akin, who lands on the 15-day injured list. Right-hander Jackson Kowar, who made a strong bid for a spot, was designated for assignment, opening another space.

Hiraldo had a decent spring, working two clean innings in his last two appearances. He showed signs of success in his first taste in the majors last year and finished camp with a 3.86 ERA in 7 innings.

Nunez, a 24-year-old former position player prospect who turned to pitching, will make his major league debut after tossing 5 scoreless frames this spring.

And the infield competition goes Jackson’s way. Jackson made his debut late last season and impressed at the plate, and while he isn’t the best defender, he’s capable at multiple positions in the infield and corner outfield. That gave him an advantage over Bryan Ramos, whom the Orioles designated for assignment. Weston Wilson, another utility candidate, was reassigned to the minors.

Here is how the Orioles’ first roster of 2026 shapes out.

Catchers: Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo

The catching tandem was already a lock over the winter. Rutschman and Basallo will likely be in the lineup together most days at catcher and designated hitter. The Orioles are hopeful Rutschman gets back to his best and that Basallo blossoms into the star many project him to be.

Infielders: Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson, Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander, Ryan Mountcastle and Jeremiah Jackson

With Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday injured to begin the year, the infield group looks differently than expected this winter. Mayo will have increased responsibilities at third base and Alexander, a utility player, will likely man second base for the time being.

Outfielders: Colton Cowser, Taylor Ward, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers and Leody Taveras

Beavers’ knee appears to be OK. He was scratched late in spring training due to knee soreness but that hasn’t impacted his opening day preparation. The Orioles also opted to keep Taveras on the roster to give themselves a true backup center fielder behind Cowser.

Starting pitchers: Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt and Zach Eflin

The rotation is much improved, as evidenced by the decision to option Dean Kremer to Triple-A. Rogers is the opening day starter and Bradish could become one of the best pitchers in baseball if he stays healthy. Bassitt, Baz and Eflin round out a strong core.

Relievers: Ryan Helsley, Tyler Wells, Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia, Dietrich Enns, , Grant Wolfram, Anthony Nunez and Yaramil Hiraldo

Helsley joined this winter to be the closer and Wells moved from the rotation into the bullpen. The Orioles will hope Cano can get back to his best. Wolfram may be the biggest spring winner. His strong performance makes him a left-on-left specialist.