Could Bradish be Orioles’ No. 1 starter? | MAILBAG

Question: Why isn’t Kyle Bradish considered a No. 1 starter? He finished 4th in Cy Young award voting before his injury. From: John Flynn

Answer: John, I also got a question about Bradish from Allen File, who wants to know how many innings he can be expected to pitch this season.

The questions from John and Allen are part of the same answer. Had Bradish not needed Tommy John surgery in June 2024 and been restricted to 32 innings in six starts last season, perhaps the 29-year-old right-hander could be considered the No. 1 starter.

If the Orioles don’t make a major addition to their starting staff, Bradish could be the top starter.

I think a realistic goal would be for Bradish to pitch 150 innings. Maybe the Orioles have a different figure in mind, but they’re not going to share it with us.

At his best, Bradish is a top-tier starter. He’ll just have to stay healthy to show us.

Question: Can you explain the MLB rules that keep a player with MLB experience a rookie from one season to the next? Who on the O’s fits that category for the ‘26 season? And is there any type of competitive advantage for a team to have those situations? From: John Hall

Answer: John, if a player is on the major league roster for 45 days, accumulates 130 at-bats or pitches 45 innings, they’re no longer a rookie.

Samual Basallo (43 days, 109 at-bats) and Dylan Beavers (44 days, 110 at-bats) retain their rookie status.

Last season, Yaramil Hiraldo, Jeremiah Jackson, Chayce McDermott, Kade Strowd and Grant Wolfram were among those who exceeded rookie limits.

The possible competitive advantage for the Orioles is if Basallo or Beavers are on the major league roster long enough to accrue a year of service time in 2026 and win Rookie of the Year or finish n the top three for Most Valuable Player before they’re eligible for arbitration, the Orioles receive a Prospect Promotive Incentive draft pick.

A prospect must be in the top 100 by two major ranking services: Baseball America, MLB Pipeline and ESPN.com.

Basallo and Beavers are ranked in the top 100 by the first two. ESPN.com hasn’t revealed its rankings.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.