The Orioles swept the Blue Jays in their final home game, but Pete Alonso made sure that the moment belonged to the fans. Foul Territory posted a video of Alonso leading the Orioles players out to the field to salute the Camden Yards crowd after their last home game of the season.
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The Broadcaster said, “The Orioles are flooding out onto the field where they will salute this fan base. And Pete Alonso is leading the way, calling his teammates onto the infield and raising his cap in his first year in Baltimore to salute all of Birdland.”
Instead of simply heading into the clubhouse, Pete Alonso called his teammates back onto the field. The Orioles then gathered around the diamond and tipped their caps as the crowd applauded. It was a small moment, but Alonso, this being his first season, had once again shown how quickly he had grown into a leader.
What made the moment stand out was that Polar Bear was the one who brought everyone back. He could have walked into the clubhouse with the rest of the team, but instead chose to give Baltimore fans one final salute.
Jackson Holliday has already spoken about learning from Alonso, saying, “I’m super glad to have a guy like that in our clubhouse.”
Craig Albernaz, too, praised the way Alonso shares his knowledge and helps with communication. That made the scene at Camden Yards feel like another example of the role Alonso has taken on in the clubhouse.
Despite the team’s struggles, Alonso’s leadership has become the clubhouse anchor. Baltimore has a below 1% chance of making it to the playoffs after another underwhelming year, and questions remain surrounding the offense and the pitching.
But Alonso remained one of the few players who consistently gave Orioles fans something to cheer about.
Pete reached 41 home runs and led the American League with 110 RBIs. He also became the 2026 Most Valuable Oriole after receiving a unanimous vote from local media in his first year with the team. Even when he went back to Citi Field to play against the Mets and hit his 300th homer, he got a standing ovation from the rival fans.
And that became another example of the person Alonso has become.
Alonso met the fans who caught the home run ball, signed their jerseys, gave them bats, and offered tickets to Camden Yards.
He even told them, “You guys rock,” before sending them home with another memorable moment.
But this was not the first time Alonso showed why teammates and opponents respect him.
Todd Frazier once said Alonso was “goofy enough that people love him” while being serious enough to earn respect.
Even former Mets executive Sandy Alderson defended Alonso’s value, saying, “Poor defense doesn’t outweigh the kind of homegrown, home run talent.”
Alonso also thanked Mets and Yankees fans, saying New York would always feel like a homecoming. Now, Baltimore is getting its own version of that connection, and Alonso has quickly made himself part of it.
Although Pete Alonso was the shining star for the Orioles, the rest of the team fell short
The Baltimore Orioles may miss the postseason again, sitting 4th in the AL East at 78-81 with 3 more games left. After the promise of their 2023 playoff run, another October without Baltimore feels disappointing for fans.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield gave the Orioles a C- for 2026, calling the season “meh.” But the bigger concern is how little progress this team showed compared with last season.
Gunnar Henderson’s 2026 season shows that change clearly, especially after what he did in 2025.
Henderson hit .274 with 17 homers, 68 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases across 154 games last year. This season, he is hitting .226 with 24 homers, 59 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases overall.
The power is still there, but his overall production has dropped, and that is a problem.
Jackson Holliday, at 22, gives the Orioles a player who still has plenty of time to develop. But his 2026 season has raised more questions about whether he can be consistent in his production.
In the 98 games he has played, his average has dropped to .229 from .242 in 2025.
That left Pete Alonso, who was one of the few steady offensive pieces, leaving Baltimore with plenty to figure out. The lineup still needs improvement, especially with several young players yet to find their rhythm.
That concern also reaches the pitching staff, which struggled to provide Baltimore with enough stability.
The Orioles entered 2026 hoping their offseason changes would improve a rotation that struggled in 2025. And they did improve, with the ERA dropping from 4.60 in 2025 to 4.08 in 2026. They also gave up a lot fewer homers than in 2025, but the improvement was not enough to keep them in a postseason spot.
But 2026’s disappointment wasn’t just missing the playoffs.
After going 75-87 in 2025, the Orioles needed to show clear progress. Instead, the Orioles remain 4th in the division with their postseason hopes almost gone, unless they win all 3 and the Chicago White Sox lose the rest.
For fans, that makes another October without Baltimore feel like a step backwards.