Welp, things are bleak right now in Birdland. A weekend sweep at the hands of the Tigers puts the Orioles at 10-17 on the year, giving them the third-worst record in baseball and little in the way of optimism in the immediate future.
We knew that the rotation was going to struggle but the extent to which this group has collapsed has been extreme.
Charlie Morton was brought in to be a veteran depth piece, someone who could take the ball every fifth day and give you a handful of decent innings.
Through six starts, he has a 10.39 ERA with a 16% walk rate. Cade Povich was supposed to take a step forward, but he’s been terrible. Dean Kremer looks like a DFA candidate. It’s April 28th and we have 9 pitchers on the IL. This is a disaster.
And it’s not just the rotation that’s been a failure.
The offense hasn’t been able to pull its weight either. They haven’t scored more than 3 runs in a game in over a week and they’ve hit .100 with runners in scoring position during that span.
It feels like Cedric Mullins is the only guy showing up to the ballpark every night. This team is brutal to watch right now.
And the fanbase is rightfully indignant. We knew that the rotation needed help. Mike Elias got a few bargain bin options, which has worked out about as well as you’d expect.
The front office has done little to improve the roster since last year’s trade deadline and it shows, as the depth in Baltimore has failed to withstand the pressure of being thrust into the spotlight.
There’s nowhere to go but up, but it’s not clear that the Orioles have enough gas in the tank to fix their problems in 2025
Who’s to blame for this mess? There’s no one person to target, unfortunately.
The bulk of the blame can honestly be put on the players, if you’re asking me. Jackson Holliday has failed to launch. Gunnar Henderson is hitting .220/.256/.376 and it’s not entirely clear if he’s still dealing with issues stemming from the intercostal injury sustained earlier in spring training.
Rutschman has been bad at the plate again, Colton Cowser is injured, Jordan Westburg is injured, Anthony Santander is gone and his replacement Tyler O’Neill is on the IL.
Quotes from the Orioles’ losing clubhouse include:
“It’s tough to stay mentally engaged;” and
“It’s different now, because we’re supposed to win.”
But sure, keep telling yourself this isn’t a mental thing, that no new leadership is needed
— Eutaw Street Report (@EutawStReport) April 27, 2025
Where is the help supposed to come from? Coby Mayo might find himself in Baltimore in short order if Westburg needs a trip to the IL, given that he’s the only Triple-A hitter on the 40-man.
Even still, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the O’s found a way to add Emmanuel Rivera or Livan Soto to the 40-man rather than recall Mayo.
Many fans want to blame Elias and Brandon Hyde, and that’s fair too.
Elias built a competitive young core and has been extremely hesitant to add necessary pieces around them. Hyde looks lost most of the time and the team doesn’t seem to have any life left in them. Whoever you want to blame, you’re probably right.
Maybe things get better in 2025. The Yankees come to town for a three-game set starting later today but the schedule gets a bit easier starting in May.
We’ll see what the Orioles have left in the tank but it sure feels like there’s a real shot that this team is a trade deadline seller and unwatchable down the stretch.
