The Baltimore Orioles may have their work cut out for them with their new bullpen toy.
After a ghastly sojourn in Queens with the New York Mets, former St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley is headed to Baltimore on a two-year, $28 million contract that includes an opt-out clause after 2026. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Helsley will remain in his customary closer’s role after chatter emerged that teams were looking at acquiring Helsley to potentially serve as a starter next season. Pitching out of a rotation may have ended up a foolish endeavor given his limitations, and Cardinals fans could provide Baltimore supporters with some facts regarding the drastic highs and terrifying lows of the Ryan Helsley experience.
The Orioles will be playing with fire when deploying Helsley at the end of games.
Helsley’s struggles with the Mets last season were plain as day, and there were several reports that he was tipping his pitches. He surrendered 16 earned runs in 20 innings and was a factor in the Mets’ failure to make the postseason. Clearly, the Orioles believe that they can solve Helsley’s potential pitch-tipping woes, but even if they straighten that out, there is plenty more under the hood for Baltimore to be concerned about.
Helsley’s fastball is among the zippiest in the game. averaging 99.3 mph, which is in the 99th percentile of all pitchers’ fastball velocity. Unfortunately, today’s hitters can tee up heat if it lacks deception, and Helsley’s fastball appears to be as straight as an arrow.
According to Baseball Savant, Helsley’s four-seam fastball has a whopping 5.2 less inches of horizontal break than the average four-seamer, and the consequences have been dire. Opponents hit .422 off the pitch last season and connected for six home runs. Fastballs aren’t emphasized in today’s game the way they used to be, but they remain at the core of most pitchers’ arsenals.
It’s a shame that his fastball is so hittable, because Helsley possesses a devastating slider that batters hit only .140 against in 2025 and missed on 41.6% of swings. That slider is likely what tantalized the Orioles into taking a flier on the embattled closer. Helsley nominally owns a curveball as well, but he threw it only 57 times last season.
Although relief pitchers don’t require repertoires as diverse as those of starters, Helsley needs to be able to have at least two somewhat effective pitches for him to rediscover the success he found in St. Louis. If Baltimore can unlock a new level to his fastball, Helsley could return to being the beast he was with the Cardinals, but if they can’t and he is forced to rely almost solely on his slider, hitters will be able to sit on the pitch and do damage.
The Orioles would be wise to take heed of what the Cardinals and, to an even greater extent, the Mets witnessed from Helsley in 2025. The risk is significant, but given the number of teams that were pursuing the former star this offseason, it’s clear that the potential reward is off the charts as well.
