MLB Arbitration update: Baltimore Orioles win Keegan Akin hearing, setting reliever's pay at $2.975M

An independent three-person panel has ruled in favor of the Baltimore Orioles in their arbitration case against reliever Keegan Akin, setting his 2026 salary at $2.975 million. There was a gap of $400,000 between the sides, as the left-handed pitcher had requested $3.375 million. After hearing arguments from both sides, the panel ruled in Baltimore's favor, marking the Orioles' first arbitration victory of the offseason and the first of three this week, bringing some clarity to its payroll planning.

That is a pivotal call for Akin, but also for the Orioles heading into the 2026 campaign. Arbitration hearings can be a litmus test for negotiations to come, and they continue a long-term trend in the other direction, as recent player-favored arbitration rulings go, with clubs winning in at least half of cases. Akin is a big piece of the Baltimore bullpen going forward, and this decision on his salary guarantees that he will be back on a one-year contract with his contract finally cleared.

Arbitration panel rules in favor of the Orioles

The three-person panel that heard the arbitration case based its ruling on Jacobs performance history, salaries for comparable players, and an estimate of the player's value moving forward. Ultimately, the panel sided with the Orioles' submission of $2.975 million rather than Akin's higher figure. The decision was a small financial victory for Baltimore, which has been navigating a bloating payroll in an effort to remain competitive in the American League East.


This was slightly surprising considering the initial indication and results of this year's arbitration cycle. Just last month, in multiple instances throughout Major League Baseball, players had, in fact, won hearings and commanded higher salaries than teams had proposed. That momentum was helped along by Baltimore's win, showing that even when the numbers support one side, franchises can still make a convincing argument.

As for the O's, the decision gives the front office a bit more clarity on what its budget will be to finalize the roster. While arbitration cases can make things awkward between teams and players, they are a normal part of the business of baseball. Now that the matter is resolved, both can turn their full focus to the upcoming season rather than worry about contract uncertainty.

What the ruling means for Keegan Akin

Since his major league debut in 2020, Keegan Akin has been a consistent name in the pitching staff for Baltimore. He was both a starter and reliever early in his career before finding a full-time place in the bullpen, where he emerged as a strong left-handed option for the club. Akin went 5-4 with a 3.41 ERA and eight saves, striking out 59 in 63⅓ innings in 68 games in 2025.

The actual numbers he provided gave him plenty of ammunition to support a large raise, and despite the panel ruling in favor of the Orioles, he still finished with a huge raise. The new figure is more than double his salary last season, which was $1.475 million. While Akin did not receive exactly what he was looking for, the verdict still underlines his increasing significance to the team.


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