Orioles Opening Day: Everything you need to know ahead of Opening Day
RELOCATION. AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY HERE IN BALTIMORE. THE BIRDS ARE BACK. THE O’S START THE SEASON AT HOME THIS AFTERNOON AGAINST THE MINNESOTA TWINS. OUR GOOD FRIEND SEAN AND LACEE HAVE FLOCKED TO ORIOLE PARK AND HAVE A PREVIEW OF WHAT FANS CAN EXPECT WHEN HEADING TO THE YARD THIS MORNING. GOOD MORNING. WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS HOUR, GUYS? WE’RE HAVING WAY TOO MUCH FUN OUT HERE ALREADY AND THERE’S NOBODY ON THE FIELD. I’M READY. I TOLD YOU LAST YEAR, MEGAN, I WAS READY. JUST. THIS GRASS IS PERFECT. I WANT TO GO. I THINK THEY’LL YELL AT HIM IF HE STEPS ON IT. THEY TOLD ME THEY WILL. OUT OF HERE. DO NOT TOUCH SEAN. WELL, YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN TALKING. WE’VE BEEN TALKING CONSTANTLY ABOUT ALL THE NEW THINGS WITH THE PLAYERS, THE MANAGER, THE BALLPARK. BUT THERE’S A NEW SYSTEM IN PLAY THAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE REALLY INTERESTING. AND IT’S FOR ALL OF MLB, IT’S THE ABS CHALLENGE SYSTEM. SO WHAT THIS SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY IS THE PITCHER, THE CATCHER AND THE BATTER CAN ACTUALLY CHALLENGE THE UMPIRE’S CALL AT THE PLATE. NOW THEY HAVE TO DO IT IMMEDIATELY. AND YOU ONLY GET TWO. YOU GIVE THEM ONE OF THESE. YEAH, A LITTLE TAP TAP. IT HAS TO BE IMMEDIATE THOUGH. NOW YOU’LL REMEMBER LAST SEASON WE GOT THE PITCH CLOCK SYSTEM. AND THAT CUT DOWN ALMOST A HALF HOUR EACH GAME. SO REALLY SPEEDING UP THE GAME. SO YOU’RE GETTING SOME VISUALS NOW ON WHAT YOU’LL SEE ON THE SCOREBOARD. SO OUR GIANT SCOREBOARD, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THAT ZONE. AND IF THE BALL ACTUALLY JUST NICKED THE STRIKE ZONE OR NOT. AND WHEN YOU’RE WATCHING FROM HOME, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU’RE USED TO SEEING. RIGHT? RIGHT. YOU SEE THIS AND YOU’RE YELLING AT THE TV, THAT’S A BALL. THAT’S A STRIKE, I SEE IT. WHY CAN’T THEY SEE IT? WELL, NOW THEY GET TO USE THAT, RIGHT. AND IF IF UMPIRES, IF YOU CHALLENGE AND YOU’RE RIGHT, YOU GET TO KEEP THE CHALLENGE. BUT IF YOU SAY, HEY, I’M CHALLENGING AND THEY’RE LIKE, NOPE, IT’S CONFIRMED, THEN YOU LOSE A CHALLENGE. YOU ONLY GET TWO OF THOSE A GAME. SO IT WILL BE REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT TEAMS DO. AND I KNOW I WAS READING ON MLB THAT SOME TEAMS ARE NOT GOING TO LET THEIR PITCHERS MAKE THE CALL. YOU KNOW, THE PITCHER IS MUCH FARTHER AWAY, SO THEY’RE GOING TO LEAVE IT UP TO THEIR CATCHER. SO I GUESS WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE STRATEGY IS WITH THESE CHALLENGES. I LIKE THE IDEA BEHIND IT. OBVIOUSLY AS A CATCHER OR A PITCHER, YOU’RE OUT THERE ALL GAME. YOU KIND OF KNOW IF THAT’S A BALL OR A STRIKE AND YOU FEEL FOR THE MPS BECAUSE THEY’RE SITTING OUT THERE, THEY’RE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN, BUT SOMETIMES THEY’RE HUMAN. YOU MIGHT GET IT WRONG. THEY WOULD DEFINITELY. IF I PLAYED BASEBALL, THEY WOULD SAY NO MORE FROM YOU BECAUSE EVERYTHING IF I STRUCK OUT, I’D BE LIKE, THAT’S A BALL. AND THEY’D BE LIKE, SEAN, YOU’VE DONE DOING THAT? AND YOU’RE SAYING, OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU GO INTO EXTRA INNINGS, YOU GET AN EXTRA CHALLENGE. SO THERE’S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THIS. IT’S GOING TO MAKE THE GAME JUST ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF A LITTLE CHANGE, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING, KIND OF GIVING THAT CONTROL TO THE PLAYERS, PITCHERS, BATTERS, CATCHERS. YEAH. AND THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES. BUT THEY’VE BEEN TRYING THIS OUT IN THE MINOR LEAGUES FOR YEARS. SO THEY KNOW IT WORKS. AND IT’S JUST COOL TO THINK OF THE TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE LIKE WE’VE SEEN IN FOOTBALL, RIGHT. YOU KNOW RIGHT WHEN THEY SCORED THE TOUCHDOWN WITH THE PYLON, LIKE YOU CAN SEE THE BALL SEE WHERE THEY CROSS. SO IT’S LIKE THEY’RE INCORPORATING ALL THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY IN ALL THE DIFFERENT SPORTS. AND WHEN YOU PLAY OVER 160 GAMES, YOU MIGHT NOT THINK EACH GAME COUNTS. BUT WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO THE SEPTEMBER BASEBALL, EACH GAME, EACH PITCH REALLY DOES COUNT. AND IT CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A POSTSEASON RUN OR NOT MAKING THE POSTSEASON AT ALL. SO I’M REALLY EXCITED. DO YOU KNOW WHO ALWAYS GETS IT RIGHT AT THE BALLPARK? I, I THINK I DO YOU DO. YOU GUYS MIGHT KNOW HIM. I DON’T KNOW THE ORIOLE BIRD. THIS IS WHAT I’M WAITING FOR. OBVIOUSLY THE TECHNICAL STUFF IS FUN, BUT THIS IS AWESOME AS WELL. IT’S SUPER. I MEAN, I THINK HE’S OUR FAVORITE FACE AT THE BALLPARK, RIGHT? I MEAN, HE GETS US PUMPED UP, GETS US EXCITED. WE ARE READY FOR A GOOD SEASON.
Orioles Opening Day: Everything you need to know ahead of Opening Day
Updated: 2:13 PM EDT Mar 26, 2026
BALTIMORE —
It’s Opening Day for the Baltimore Orioles as fans prepare for the unofficial holiday here in Maryland as it marks the start of baseball and the arrival of spring.
The weather got the message as it will be a pleasant day for the game with partly cloudy skies and temps reaching the 70s. WBAL TV 11 Today’s Lacee Griffith and Sean Streicher were live at Oriole Park at Camden Yards Thursday morning as they preview what’s new with the team as well as at the ballpark.
Stay with WBAL-TV 11 News for the most coverage of Opening Day, and the latest from downtown including updates on traffic, weather, and the game itself at the O’s host the Minnesota Twins starting at 3:05 p.m.
‘Tremendous’: Mike Elias on Orioles’ newest players
Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias speaks on getting Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday back on the field from injury and the new additions to the ballclub on Opening Day in Baltimore!
Fans party outside Pickles ahead of Orioles Home Opener
O’s fans pack Pickles Pub ahead of the Opening Day game in Downtown Baltimore. Tailgate Tori is there!
Opening Day: Preview of Orioles season with broadcaster Ben Wagner
We are counting down the hours to first pitch as the Orioles open up the 2026 season at home against the Minnesota Twins. WBAL-TV 11 News was down at Oriole Park at Camden Yards with a preview of this year’s team and lots of new faces in the clubhouse this season. Orioles broadcaster Ben Wagner spoke with us Thursday morning about some of the new faces including a star free agent, new rotation, and even a new manager at the helm.
Opening Day: New O’s gear from Fanatics available for Opening Day
Break out your orange gear for Oriole’s Opening Day as thousands of Birdland members will head to Oriole Park at Camden Yards to see the O’s take on the Twins. For fans that are in need for some new Orioles gear, they can pick some up at the ballpark. WBAL-TV 11 News spoke with Dustin Morgan the general manager, with Fanatics about what’s new for fans this season.
Opening Day: Oriole bird checks in live on 11 News Today
The birds are back in Baltimore as the O’s start the season at home this afternoon. WBAL-TV 11 News has a preview of what fans can expect when heading downtown and what to expect at Oriole Park at Camden Yards that features some new upgrades.
They include a jumbotron and new screens that are bigger and brighter, 600 electronic boards in the concourse at the food stands that update in real time, several new amazon “walk-out” kiosks, as well as lots of new food options and new merchandise.
For those heading downtown on Thursday, the MTA has several convenient options to travel to Opening Day. Arrive early and stay late to avoid crowds and enjoy all that Opening Day in Baltimore has to offer.
The Light Rail will operate all available trains on a regular weekday schedule and beginning at noon, MTA will supplement Light Rail Service with Express Shuttle Buses operating from Glen Burnie/Cromwell and Timonium Fairgrounds directly to Camden Station.
After the game, trains will operate from Camden Yards. Riders taking an Express Shuttle Buses will need to board at Convention Center Light Rail stop instead of Camden Yards.
Opening Day: New food items at the ballpark with Chef Dan
The excitement for Opening Day is contagious and besides the upgrades to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, fans will have an eye on the ton of new food options. WBAL TV 11 News spoke with Chef Dan Doyle, the executive head chef for Levy Restaurants, about several new menu items available at the ballpark for Opening Day. This includes items like Big Scrap Burger, a new chili dog, and crab smash tacos that are sure to delight the taste buds.
Opening Day: Orioles invite all to enjoy the new experience at Camden Yards
Opening Day is an unofficial holiday in Baltimore and everyone is encouraged to come check out the new and improved Oriole Park at Camden Yards. WBAL-TV 11 News spoke with Jennifer Grondahl, the SVP of communications for the Orioles on what makes the ballpark an attractive place to visit this summer.