At the start of the 2026 season, many believed the Baltimore Orioles were entering Opening Day with their deepest starting rotation in years.
Fast forward to June, and right-hander Brandon Young has already made eight starts — a scenario that would have been considered a worst-case outcome just a few months ago.
Instead, Young has become one of Baltimore’s most reliable starters.
Fans first got a look at Young in 2025 when injuries ravaged the O’s pitching staff and forced the club to turn to its then-No. 8 pitching prospect. While there were flashes of promise, including taking a perfect game into the eighth inning against the Houston Astros, Young struggled overall, posting a 6.24 ERA across 12 starts.
That disappointing season played a role in Baltimore’s aggressive offseason overhaul of its rotation. The organization was determined to avoid another pitching crisis like the previous season dealt.
This led the O’s to have one of their busier off-season’s in the Elias era, completely overhauling the rotation in an effort to avoid a 2025 situation ever again.
Unfortunately, injuries struck again, and when Young received another opportunity this season, he was ready to capitalize.
Through eight starts, the 27-year-old owns a 3.35 ERA and is coming off the best month of his professional career. He allowed just 11 runs across five starts in the month of May, with the Orioles winning all five games he took the mound.
So, what adjustments has Young made to reinvent himself?
The turnaround has not come from a dramatic reinvention. Young’s pitch mix remains largely the same. He has replaced his changeup and cutter with a sinker, but he continues to lean heavily on his four-seam fastball, which has remained his most effective pitch.
The splitter has always been a nice compliment to Young’s fastball, but the biggest development has been the growth of his slider. Long viewed as a two-pitch pitcher, Young has turned his slider into a legitimate weapon, generating a whiff rate above 39% and helping him climb into the 84th percentile in chase rate.
Young has also slightly lowered his arm angle from 49 degrees to 43 degrees. While not a drastic adjustment, it is another subtle change that may be contributing to his success.
Some of the improvement can also simply be attributed to better fortune. Young carried a .314 BABIP in 2025, above the league average that typically sits around .300. This season, that number has dropped to .278.
But perhaps the most encouraging development has been his ability to work deeper into games. After averaging 4.8 innings per start last season, Young has increased that figure to 5.4 innings in 2026. For an Orioles bullpen that has shown signs of wear at times, those extra outs have carried significant value.
Whether Young can maintain this level of production over a full season remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that he has given Baltimore far more than anyone could have reasonably expected and has played a meaningful role in helping the Orioles climb back into the conversation.
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