Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles finished 2025 with a .234 average with runners in scoring position, which ranked 27th in baseball. They struck out 25% of the time in those situations, which ranked third-highest.

The Orioles’ new skipper is charged with turning around a team that won 75 games in 2025.

Baltimore finished with a .235 average, which ranked 24th in the majors, and a .699 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, which ranked 21st.

He’s here to fix and elevate the young core. That’s his mandate.

Albernaz spoke honestly, made fun of himself for his smaller stature and cracked a “6-7” joke his sons, CJ and Norman, would understand, though it surely flew over the head of owner David Rubenstein.

The Orioles traded Kittredge to the Cubs in July. He posted a 3.45 ERA in 31 1/3 innings for Baltimore before the deal, then a 3.32 ERA in 21 2/3 innings for Chicago.

As part of the three-year, $49.5-million deal O’Neill signed with the Orioles, he could have exercised an opt-out clause following the 2025 season.

Albernaz behaved like a manager long before he ever officially carried that title.

Chirinos joined Brandon Hyde’s staff as a first-time bench coach ahead of the 2025 season, and he was a popular figure in the clubhouse.

Is this going to be another new set of chefs with the same menu, or is the flavor of the hitting program about to change?

“I’ve learned a lot and obviously had some pretty good moments in the season and struggled at the same time,” Holliday said.

Two assistant hitting coaches are already gone. What other changes are coming?

With a new manager at the helm, the Orioles are expected to undergo considerable restructuring, according to industry sources.

The Orioles can still make win-now moves this winter with this first-time manager in place. But there’s no indication that Mike Elias and company are just going to change tack and go a traditional route to get there.

“Craig has built an exemplary career across multiple successful organizations and brings a tremendous amount of experience, knowledge, and talent to our organization and to this new challenge,” Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said in a statement.

Did the Orioles make the right move?

The Orioles are hiring Craig Albernaz to right the ship after a 75-87 season, taking him away from an associate manager position with the Cleveland Guardians.

In November 2023, Craig Albernaz joined the Cleveland Guardians as the bench coach under manager Stephen Vogt. He was promoted to the associate manager position ahead of the 2025 season.

Domínguez posted a 3.00 ERA in 21 innings to close out the regular season. And despite playing a part in a bullpen collapse in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, his overall numbers have been solid.

The new logos, unveiled via a video on X, use images of literal keys rather than the likeness of Francis Scott Key.