Giants-Orioles Series Preview: Battle of the struggling quasi-contenders
The Giants and Orioles are both trying to contend, but going about it differently. Will either approach work?
Apr 3, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) greets shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) crossing home plate on a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Baltimore Orioles have been run by one of the Moneyball 2. 0 acolytes since the Giants hired Farhan Zaidi in November 2018.
Mike Elias was part of the Astros’ front office, and their innovation on the Billy Beane way of running a baseball team* was not only to cheat, but to infuse data and “inefficiencies” into literally every area of the baseball operation. Elias’s twist was to tank the Orioles for a few years to improve the prospect stock and then let those cheap young superstars carry the team into and through a contention window. It hasn’t exactly gone to plan.
However, the Orioles’ new owner has finally infused the organization with enough cash flow and approvals to compel them to boost their roster through other means besides their front office’s cleverness. The Orioles finally signed a top 50 free agent after over a decade of not having done so, and it’s a good one! Pete Alonso is a Giants Killer.
He has 13 home runs in 39 career games to go with a triple slash of . 257/. 326/.
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