PITTSBURGH – The next step into the Orioles’ 2026 season has planted them in Pittsburgh again for the Pirates home Opening Day, a déjà vu with the exact same thing happening two years ago.

No snow flurries are expected this time.

The Pirates are promoting shortstop Konnor Griffin, baseball’s No. 1 prospect, because he must have needed only five games in Triple-A after spring training.

He went 7-for-16 with three doubles and five walks. Yeah, he’s ready.

His banner already is hanging outside PNC Park, along with former Orioles Ryan O’Hearn, Gregory Soto and Isaac Mattson.

The Orioles lost two of three to the Pirates in 2024, by scores of 5-4 and 3-2. They swept Pittsburgh last year at Camden Yards – 3-2, 2-1 and 3-2 – to end a stretch of eight wins in nine games.  

They went to Toronto and lost three straight.

But enough about the past.

The first homestand left the Orioles at 3-3. Six road games left the Pirates at 3-3. Paul Skenes started on Wednesday and won’t pitch in this series. The same goes for Trevor Rogers.

Kyle Bradish has made two career starts against the Pirates and allowed one earned run (two total) in 13 innings. That’s a 0.69 ERA. The one run came over seven innings last year in his third start after returning from elbow surgery. He’s never pitched at PNC Park.

Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller tossed six scoreless innings in his first start this season at Citi Field. He’s faced the Orioles twice in his career and allowed one run in 13 innings – yeah, that’s also a 0.69 ERA – with one walk and 14 strikeouts.

Pete Alonso is 1-for-15 against him. The current Orioles are a collective 7-for-50.

Speaking of Alonso, let’s start with him while rehashing what we’ve witnessed in six games. He’s 7-for-23 (.304) with an .820 OPS and hit his first home run Wednesday. He’s built a five-game hitting streak since going 0-for-3 with a walk on Opening Day. He’s every bit the good clubhouse guy that you hear about and continues to destroy the stereotype of the superstar who played in New York.

The guy checks whether the media is ready for him and heads over to his locker. He finished one scrum by saying, “I appreciate you.” His reaction to a question about close friend Jacob deGrom’s pickoff throw is gonna be a 2026 highlight. It doesn’t work in print. You had to see him, arms spread, head shaking and a look on his face like, ‘Are you serious? A pickoff throw?’ It was hilarious.

The Orioles aren’t paying $155 million just for Alonso’s power. He’s got a lot more to offer and it’s shown since the first day of camp.

*Second base is in good hands while Jackson Holliday is on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk.

Jeremiah Jackson had a sacrifice fly and run-scoring single Wednesday and is 4-for-15 with three RBIs. Also six strikeouts, but the Orioles aren’t complaining. Blaze Alexander is 4-for-11. Also five strikeouts, but …

Manager Craig Albernaz put both of them in Tuesday’s lineup with Alexander at third base, but it’s mostly a back and forth at second. The question is whether Jackson stays after the Orioles reinstate Holliday later this month.

Holliday wasn’t in last night’s lineup.

*Rogers isn’t regressing.

Is he as sharp as he’d like to be through two starts? Not really. Too much traffic on the bases to suit him, with nine hits, five walks and a hit batter. But he tossed seven scoreless innings on Opening Day and allowed two runs in six innings Wednesday for a 1.38 ERA.

Opponents are batting .200 against him.

Like any ace, he’s gonna give the Orioles a chance to win every turn. He’s gonna make it much harder for this team to go on a lengthy losing streak.

He’s a free agent after this season. I figured it was worth mentioning, and not for the last time.

Coby Mayo is a double play machine, and I’m talking about his work at third base.

He’s a serial twin-killer, starting them like it’s his job. Actually, it is part of his job. But the point here is that Mayo is playing a good third base, and he needed to be trusted as the main replacement for Jordan Westburg.

Mayo is making plays to his left and right and his throwing accuracy is much better.

“He’s been looking good at third,” Albernaz said. “He’s putting in good work ever since spring training up until this point. We feel very comfortable at third base, and we have Blaze, as well, that can play third.

“It’s tough to fill Westy’s shoes, the player he is and the person he is, but Mayo has stepped up back time for us, and the same with everyone else.”

*The at-bats aren’t coming easily to Ryan Mountcastle.

This was predictable, especially just a week into the season.

Mountcastle started at first base in the third game, with Alonso serving as designated hitter. In between was a pinch-hit single the previous day that extended his franchise-record hitting streak against the Twins to 18 games, and a pinch-hit strikeout Monday in the ninth inning.

That’s a total of five at-bats.

The Orioles tendered Mountcastle a contract and signed him to another $6.787 million deal to avoid arbitration. They also included a $7.5 million club option for 2027 that can increase $1 million with incentives.

President of baseball operations Mike Elias disputed the suggestion on the final camp day in Florida that Mountcastle mostly would be a bench bat. Alonso wouldn’t play 162 games at first base – already proven correct – and there also would be starts at designated hitter.

“Mounty has historically been great against left-handed pitching, and so I think he’s going to be a front-line player for us against a lot of opponents,” Elias said. “We believe in his stick.”

Elias also mentioned the bad luck that Mountcastle has experienced in recent years, especially health but also long, loud outs.

Depth is coveted and the Orioles have a good bench. It seems like a luxury to have Mountcastle available against left-handers. He’s a career .283/.334/.479 hitter against them. And the Orioles moved in the left field wall.

We need a much larger sample size to know whether Mountcastle will get an adequate number of starts or if this is how he’s going to be used or if a team makes Elias an offer later in the summer that the Orioles can’t resist.

In the meantime, sitting isn’t easy on Mountcastle but he’s a team player and a really good guy and he’ll handle it like a professional and wait his turn.

*Adley Rutschman seems more like the All-Star version of himself.

The swing looks better and he’s posted a .412 on-base percentage and .500 slugging in five games. He has three doubles among his four hits.

The bat speed is improved. He’s hitting the ball hard.

It’s early, of course, but what we’re seeing is encouraging.

*I guess it’s OK to keep Taylor Ward in the leadoff spot.

Ward was 1-for-11 through three games and 2-for-15 through four. And then, he went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs on Tuesday and 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs on Wednesday.

Suddenly, Ward is batting .333/.393/.417, leads the team with eight hits and is tied with Gunnar Henderson for the lead in RBIs with four. He ranks first in average and on-base percentage, and his three walks are tied for first.

One reaction would be to lower him in the order and put him in the heart of it. Another reaction would be to leave him alone. Don’t mess with a suddenly good thing. And there isn’t an obvious choice shoved down the lineup.

*Extend Rico Garcia!

This seems like a good place to stop, but I’ll mention again that he seems determined to go scoreless in 2026. Hits also are forbidden.

This is a high-leverage reliever. Deal with it.