Dean Kremer projects to hold a key role in the Baltimore Orioles rotation in 2026.
Kremer, in his second year of salary arbitration, signed with the Orioles before the contract tendering deadline, settling on a $5.25 million contract for the 2026 season.
The only Israeli-born starting pitcher reached six years in MLB this season. Kremer holds a career ERA of 4.26 and over 500 strikeouts. The question surrounding him is not about whether or not he will remain an Oriole, but instead about whether he can step up for the Baltimore rotation.
Kremer is the longest tenured starting pitcher currently on the Orioles roster. The rotation overall has room for improvement and Kremer, being the veteran of the group, will be called upon to raise their overall performance.
Dating back to 2022, Kremer has oscillated between a league-average arm and a back-of-the-rotation piece. He recorded a career best 3.23 ERA in 2022 but struggled to generate whiffs with only 87 strikeouts.
In the three seasons since, Kremer’s ERA has been consistently between 4.10 and 4.20, but the strikeouts have dramatically increased, averaging 141 punch-outs per season. Kremer has flashed a higher ceiling for his stuff.
He threw eight innings of one-run ball against the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 12, which resulted in a 1-0 Mariners win. He followed that performance with seven scoreless innings on Aug. 17, shutting down the Houston Astros in a 12-0 win.
Kremer has now consistently reached new career heights against the Astros. His lone career complete game came against Houston in 2022, where he pitched a shutout with six strikeouts.
The Orioles are coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign, finishing last in the AL East with a 75-87 record. 2024 trade deadline acquisition Trevor Rogers led the staff with a 1.81 ERA and 103K’s in 18 starts.
However, for the majority of his career, Rogers’ numbers have actually been worse than Kremer’s. Over the course of his six years in the majors, his ERA has been over 4.50 in half of them, whereas Kremer has been more consistently around 4.10. Should Rogers revert to his pre-2025 self, Kremer will be called upon to step up his production.
Kyle Bradish is another name in the Baltimore dugout who could potentially lead the rotation. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024 and did not return until this August. However, due to his lack of volume since his breakout 2023 campaign, Bradish will likely play on an innings restriction in 2026, designed to preserve his long-term health.
University of Maryland sophomore Maddie Benfer has been a longtime Oriole fan, attending games and following the team through its ups and downs. She believed in widespread improvement for 2026.
“I have high expectations for him in 2026. He’s been a solid pitcher for the Orioles in the past, winning games and everything. I think Kremer will definitely be able to step up,” Benfer said.
Kremer has been in the league for six years and seventh-year pitchers do not often find career turnarounds. Players in any sport who are this far into their career and have middle-of-the-pack numbers do not usually enter stardom. Kremer will have to look to rare and recent examples, such as Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman.
Gausman similarly struggled with consistency until 2018. He flipped a switch that year, in his age-29 season and eighth in MLB, which matches Kremer’s age today. Since then, Gausman became the ace of the San Francisco Giants from 2020 to 2021 and the Blue Jays through the 2025 season.
Fellow Maryland sophomore Nick Polinsky writes for the Eutaw Street Report, covering the Orioles on the blog. He did not see improvement on the horizon for Kremer.
“At this point, the Orioles have to realize they aren’t going to accomplish anything with Dean Kremer in the top half of their rotation. He has had his fair share of great starts, but he’s just too inconsistent,” Polinsky said.
Polinsky looked at the Orioles’ top thirty prospects as a future source for pitching, highlighting No. 11 Michael Forret, No. 12 Trey Gibson and No. 14 Nestor German. He believes each can step into the Orioles’ rotation next year, putting pressure on Kremer to earn his spot.
Kremer will get a head start on his 2026 campaign in March for the World Baseball Classic.
He will represent Team Israel for a third time, having also participated in 2017 and 2023.
