Two years ago, catcher Anthony Bemboom made the Orioles’ opening day roster. Last year, second baseman Tony Kemp was on the original 26-man list.

The inclusion of those players is proof that the roster the Orioles announced Thursday afternoon is far from set in stone. Fifty players took the field for the 2023 Orioles, while a whopping 60 appeared for the club last season.

“We know we’re going to use not 26 players this year, but a lot more than that,” manager Brandon Hyde said at the end of spring training.

Hours before beginning their 2025 season in Toronto, the Orioles put the finishing touches on their 26-man roster with one surprise inclusion: Jorge Mateo, who had been classified by Hyde as “doubtful” to break camp with the club as he recovered from left elbow surgery, is in Toronto. Mateo underwent surgery on his nonthrowing elbow in August after suffering a partial dislocation while playing defense. Despite his compressed timeline this spring, the speedster was able to expedite that once it became clearer that Henderson would miss the beginning of the season because of his ribs muscle strain.

Here’s the Orioles’ 26-man opening day roster:

Starting rotation (5): Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano, Cade Povich

This group is one of the oldest rotations in MLB, and it could become the oldest when Kyle Gibson joins it. Corbin Burnes is gone, so Eflin is taking over as the Orioles’ opening day starter. Morton, Kremer and Sugano will follow against the Blue Jays, while Povich will start the home opener Monday against the Red Sox. Povich wasn’t expected to make the club when camp opened, but he forced his way onto the roster with the way he pitched after Grayson Rodriguez injured his elbow.

Bullpen (8): Félix Bautista, Yennier Cano, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez, Cionel Pérez, Keegan Akin, Bryan Baker, Albert Suárez

The Mountain is back. After missing the entire 2024 season, the Orioles’ difference-making closer has returned, but whether Bautista will be the same dominant force he was during his All-Star campaign in 2023 remains to be seen. Povich winning the No. 5 starter job bumps Suárez to the bullpen as a long reliever. Baker wasn’t projected to make the team when spring began, but an injury to free agent addition Andrew Kittredge opened a spot. Baker made the team over Matt Bowman and Roansy Contreras. Bowman cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, while Contreras was designated for assignment, the team announced. The Orioles now have two open spots on their 40-man roster.

Catchers (2): Adley Rutschman, Gary Sánchez

One of the most positive developments during spring training was the way Rutschman looked after he struggled in the second half last year. Rutschman’s swing was more controlled and his approach more confident as he hit .357 with a 1.033 OPS in Grapefruit League play.

Infielders (6): Ryan Mountcastle, Ramón Urías, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Ryan O’Hearn, Jorge Mateo

Henderson will miss at least the first six games of the season with his intercostal strain, but the team is hopeful he can return later next week. Holliday will likely move over to shortstop in Henderson’s stead, allowing Urías to play regularly while Henderson is on the shelf. Mateo could also play shortstop after he surprisingly made the trip from Sarasota, Florida, to Toronto on Wednesday to make it to Rogers Centre in time for opening day. He made the opening day roster of Livan Soto, a utility infielder who hit .395 with a .947 OPS this spring. Soto will begin the season with Triple-A Norfolk.

Outfielders (5): Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins, Tyler O’Neill, Heston Kjerstad, Ramón Laureano

O’Neill will look to extend his MLB-record streak of homering on opening day to six on Thursday in his home country of Canada. Cowser, the American League Rookie of the Year runner-up last year, will be an everyday player, while Mullins will start against righties and Laureano could start versus southpaws. Kjerstad will likely get playing time as O’Neill’s occasional replacement in right field, a designated hitter and a pinch hitter.

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