The Orioles used 10 pitchers in a starting role this year, tied for third fewest in the majors with the Angels and Cardinals and trailing the Mariners (seven) and Guardians (eight). Included in that count are Keegan Akin’s two assignments as an opener.

Excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, it’s the Orioles’ second-lowest number of starters in a season since 2017. They used nine in 2023, including Akin once and John Means four times in September after returning from Tommy John surgery.

The rotation’s 4.24 ERA ranked 17th in the majors, and a 1.38 WHIP was 26th. Injuries damaged the team’s plans, with Zach Eflin undergoing elbow-reconstructive surgery after one start, Chris Bassitt having a lower-back procedure that cost him more than two months, and Dean Kremer straining his right quad and missing 2 1/2 months after the Orioles recalled him from Triple-A Norfolk. He was traded to the Twins on Aug. 1.

Kyle Bradish was shut down in September with a sports hernia that required surgery, but the Orioles’ season already was toast.

Here are some other leftover numbers from the starting unit:

*Bradish allowed four runs in the first inning this year and opponents slashed .204/.291/.296 with six doubles, one homer, 11 walks and 34 strikeouts.

The four runs were tied for second fewest in the majors in a minimum 20 starts behind the Phillies’ Jesús Luzardo (three).

Bradish allowed only one run and struck out 21 in 15 2/3 innings in a two-game stretch from June 17-22. He became the third pitcher in franchise history with 20-plus strikeouts and one run or fewer surrendered over two starts in the same season. Mike Mussina in 2000 and Erik Bedard in 2007 are the others.

A strikeout of the Rangers’ Jake Burger on Aug. 8 was the 500th for Bradish, who became the fastest Oriole to reach the milestone in his 90th career game. Bedard did it in 97 games in 2007.

*Shane Baz allowed 0.75 home runs per nine innings, the 11th-lowest mark among all qualified starters. Bradish posted the same figure in 2023.

The last qualified Orioles starter with a lower clip was Zack Britton in 2011 with 0.70 homers per nine innings.

Baz allowed 42 doubles, third most in the majors behind the Royals’ Seth Lugo (46) and the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland (45). His 35 doubles in the first half were the most in club history, ahead of Rodrigo López’s 34 in 2006.

*Only 17 of Bassitt’s 339 batted balls were barreled in 2026.

The five percent barrel rate was the second-lowest mark of his career after the 4.7 percent in 2015 and ranked in the 88th percentile of Major League Baseball.

Bassitt has compiled a 12-2 (.857) record in 22 home games since 2025. His .857 winning percentage is tied for second highest in the majors in a minimum 20 starts behind the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski (11-1, .917).

Bassitt is a free agent again and expected to return for his 13th season. He offered some strong hints but also said his wife would have to be agreeable to it.

“I’ve got a 7 year old at home, I’ve got a 3 year old at home and a wife that wants me to be home. So yeah, we’ll cross that bridge when we do,” he said in September.

“Overall, I still have a lot of fire in me to definitely do something. I’m gonna have to win the wife over, I’ll tell you that. But yeah, there’s a lot of fire still in me. I know I still can play this game at a really high level.”

*Opponents slashed .192/.344/.231 (5-for-26) with one double and nine strikeouts against Cade Povich’s curveball. Right-handed hitters were 3-for-21 with a 42.5 percent whiff rate.

Among all pitchers who threw at least 100 curveballs to right-handers, Povich’s whiff rate ranked seventh behind the Twins’ Taj Bradley (51.5 percent), the Brewers’ Aaron Ashby (51.2), the Dodgers’ Blake Snell (46.9), the White Sox’s Davis Martin (46.2), the Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi (45.8) and the Red Sox’s Payton Tolle (44.0).

In 2025, righties hit .289/.333/.467 (26-for-90) with five doubles, a triple, three homers, 24 strikeouts and a 29.6 percent whiff rate on Povich’s curveball.

He wasn’t a one-pitch pitcher in 2026.

Povich utilized his four-seam fastball 45.5 percent of the time, compared to 37.2 in 2025, and opponents batted .197/.269/.328 (12-for-61) with two doubles, two homers and 10 strikeouts. Right-handers were 8-for-45 (.178).

Povich underwent surgery in October to remove loose bodies in his elbow and is expected to be full-go in spring training.

*Trevor Rogers attacked the zone this season.

Rogers, who went on the IL in late April with a severe case of the flu, recorded a 69.7 percent first-pitch strike rate that led the majors. The Pirates’ Braxton Ashcraft was next at 68.4.

The 69.7 percent mark was the highest by an Orioles pitcher since tracking began in 1988, putting Rogers ahead of Wei-Yin Chen’s 68.3 in 2015.

Rogers struck out at least six batters and didn’t issue a walk in three consecutive starts from July 24-Aug. 5 to tie the longest streak in franchise history. Scott McGregor did it from July 13-24,  1979.

Also, Rogers faced 174 left-handed hitters and surrendered one homer, a three-run shot from the Yankees’ Trent Grisham on May 12. Since tracking began in 1974, Rogers is one of seven pitchers in club history to face at least 170 left-handers in a season with one or fewer home runs allowed, joining Mark Williamson (none in 1989), Erik Bedard (one in 2006), Andrew Cashner (one in 2019), Mike Flanagan (one in 1982), Mike Mussina (one in 1992) and Doug Sisk (one in 1988).

*Brandon Young averaged 83.6 mph and 1,416 revolutions per minute on his splitter in his last 20 starts from May 24-Sept. 25 and opponents hit .221 (21-for-95) with three doubles, a triple, two homers, five walks and 24 strikeouts.

In Young’s first six starts of the season, his splitter averaged 87.7 mph and 1,501 RPM and opponents hit .476 (10-for-21) with three doubles, two walks and two strikeouts.