The Baltimore Orioles have been in the spotlight recently, with internal discussions aiming to take their young, promising lineup to the next level—a level that contends for a World Series title.
It’s been a couple of successful seasons in terms of regular-season achievements—cracking the 100-win mark in 2023 and clinching the AL East title, not to mention securing the top Wild Card spot.
However, the postseason has been a different story. The team hasn’t been able to notch a single playoff victory, which was a bitter pill to swallow given their potential.
Reflecting on what held them back, General Manager Mike Elias put the spotlight on the offensive struggles. At his end-of-season news conference, Elias candidly admitted, “A lot of my moves and concerns [at the trade deadline] had been toward the pitching side.
That sort of ended up not being our shortcoming in the second half and in October, so that’s on me.” He emphasized that the team will take a thorough and professional look at the situation, gathering insights and input from every corner of the organization to ensure next season tells a different story.
One tangible change on the horizon is a revamp of the Orioles’ hitting structure. Ryan Fuller is set to depart, and Matt Borgschulte is heading to the Minnesota Twins, leaving manager Brandon Hyde with the task of filling the hitting coach vacancies. Whether they’ll opt for a fresh face or stick with the co-hitting coach model that’s been in place since 2022 remains to be seen.
On the player side of things, the waters get a bit murky without significant financial flexibility. The departure of Anthony Santander leaves a big gap, given his role as last season’s power-hitting anchor.
While the Orioles have internal prospects like Heston Kjerstad, who shows the potential to be a breakout star, and top prospect Coby Mayo, who had a tough initiation in his MLB debut, expectations need to be tempered. Kjerstad’s and Mayo’s development timelines might not align perfectly with immediate needs.
Without the means to chase top-tier free agents like Juan Soto, Baltimore may lean on the trade market to address their offensive voids.
However, the prospect of acquiring a big name like Luis Robert Jr. or a solid hitter like Taylor Ward seems slim, given Elias’ track record of holding onto elite prospects and considering the recent moves at the trade deadline that have already thinned out their bargaining chips.
The Orioles face a challenging offseason, but with Elias acknowledging shortcomings and the front office ready for strategic changes, there’s hope that this could be the catalyst for a new approach. If they can capitalize on their young talent and make the necessary adjustments, next season might just see them breaking that playoff victory barrier.
