Pete Alonso says the quiet part out loud about Orioles’ alarming underperformance

The Baltimore Orioles were expecting to return to contention in the American League East this season. They had signed slugging first baseman Pete Alonso as a free agent in the offseason, and the belief that adding his power bat to a lineup that included Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson would make a huge difference to a team that finished in last place in the American League East a year ago.

"I feel like for us, we have all the pieces. We just kinda need to connect the dots"

Pete Alonso believes the Orioles are capable of playing better baseball pic.twitter.com/huLzmrc1zE

— Baltimore Banner Sports (@AllBannerSports) May 22, 2026

There has not been any improvement this season, as the Orioles are once again in the AL East cellar. They defeated the Detroit Tigers 7-4 Friday night, and Alonso homered and drove in four runs in the game. It was the second consecutive game Alonso hit a home run and he now has 10 for the season.

He believes the Orioles have failed to play to their potential to this point in the year, but it’s not too late to turn things around. “I feel like for us, we have all the pieces,” Alonso said. “We just kinda need to connect the dots. I still believe in these guys, the talent and the organization. Once we get all the pieces rolling together — the pitching, defense and hitting — it’s all going to have a snowball impact.”

While Alonso’s optimism may be overstating the case, the Orioles are only 2.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot in the American League. It is not inconceivable that the Orioles could pull off a hot streak and catch the Seattle Mariners for the final Wild Card spot in the struggling American League.

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