The Baltimore Orioles endured a difficult season. They entered the 2026 campaign with lofty aspirations, but Baltimore ultimately missed the postseason. The Orioles are hopeful that new general manager Jared Banner can help get the team back on track. Banner shared his thoughts on the team's outlook during a recent interview, via Orioles on MASN.

“I think there's a ton of talent here, first and foremost,” Banner said. “Clearly, the team hasn't really taken off the past couple years. That tells me that something needs to change. I'm not exactly sure what those things are quite yet, we need to dig in and find out.

“But the makings of a great team are here, and we're not too far off.”

The Orioles previously built a core of future stars. Yet, the ball club hasn't taken the step forward it was expected to. One of the biggest questions for Baltimore has been starting pitching. The offense has a rather high ceiling, so developing starting pitching will surely be the goal.

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They are arguably a few reliable starters away from becoming a true contender. Baltimore narrowly missed the postseason this past year, but the American League was weak overall. It will likely be stronger in future seasons, so the O's will need to address their areas of uncertainty on the roster sooner rather than later.

Banner should be able to help the O's. He worked with the Chicago Cubs since 2021 before landing the Orioles job, making it as high as assistant general manager in the organization.