Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Even in a season that isn't going according to plan, an immutable fact remains: life seems a little bit better after an Orioles win. That's especially true when the O's make it a dramatic win, like last night's 5-3 takedown of the visiting Royals at Camden Yards. After Brandon Young's bid to pitch into the eighth inning went haywire in heartbreaking fashion, Samuel Basallo stepped up to reinvigorate the team and the sizable crowd of O's fans with his electric go-ahead homer — and epic bat toss — in the Birds' last at-bat. Check out Stacey's recap of a delightful night at Oriole Park.
The game was a fun reminder of what the Orioles can look like when they're playing well, something that unfortunately has happened far too little this season. A win against a last-place Royals team doesn't fix the many problems that still plague the Birds. But with two games remaining against lowly Kansas City, the Orioles have a chance to head into the All-Star break feeling better about themselves if they can put together a couple more performances as competent as last night's.
While the players (hopefully) keep their attention on the field, the O's front office decision-makers have other things on their mind this weekend. The 2026 MLB Draft begins today at 1 pm, and the Orioles hold the #7 pick. As Mark Brown wrote, there's no consensus among draft pundits about which player the O's will take; five different writers have suggested four different possibilities for the Orioles in their mock drafts. And of course the Birds' actual selection could end up being someone not even mentioned. They do that sometimes.
The Orioles' #7 pick is their highest since 2022, when they held the #1 overall selection and drafted Jackson Holliday. Since then, their highest first-round picks have been #17 in 2023 (which they used on Enrique Bradfield Jr.), #22 in 2024 (Vance Honeycutt), and #19 in 2025 (Ike Irish).
Even in a season that isn't going according to plan, an immutable fact remains: life seems a little bit better after an Orioles win. That's especially true when the O's make it a dramatic win, like last night's 5-3 takedown of the visiting Royals at Camden Yards. After Brandon Young's bid to pitch into the eighth inning went haywire in heartbreaking fashion, Samuel Basallo stepped up to reinvigorate the team and the sizable crowd of O's fans with his electric go-ahead homer — and epic bat toss — in the Birds' last at-bat. Check out Stacey's recap of a delightful night at Oriole Park.
The game was a fun reminder of what the Orioles can look like when they're playing well, something that unfortunately has happened far too little this season. A win against a last-place Royals team doesn't fix the many problems that still plague the Birds. But with two games remaining against lowly Kansas City, the Orioles have a chance to head into the All-Star break feeling better about themselves if they can put together a couple more performances as competent as last night's.
While the players (hopefully) keep their attention on the field, the O's front office decision-makers have other things on their mind this weekend. The 2026 MLB Draft begins today at 1 pm, and the Orioles hold the #7 pick. As Mark Brown wrote, there's no consensus among draft pundits about which player the O's will take; five different writers have suggested four different possibilities for the Orioles in their mock drafts. And of course the Birds' actual selection could end up being someone not even mentioned. They do that sometimes.
The Orioles' #7 pick is their highest since 2022, when they held the #1 overall selection and drafted Jackson Holliday. Since then, their highest first-round picks have been #17 in 2023 (which they used on Enrique Bradfield Jr.), #22 in 2024 (Vance Honeycutt), and #19 in 2025 (Ike Irish).
3 months ago
