After being hyped by an MLB insider, the Orioles have reminded fans how far they still have to go before being real contenders.
On June 6, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale attempted to sound the alarm — or perhaps light the spark for the Baltimore Orioles and their fanbase.
At the time, the O’s had won 21 of their last 34 games and were showing signs of life, clawing their way to just seven games back in the standings.
“The Baltimore Orioles swept Atlanta on the road for the first time since 1999 and are slowly creeping into the AL Wild Card race,” tweeted Nightengale. “They’ve now won 21 of their last 34 and, at 40-49, sit just seven games out.”
That optimism, while well-intentioned, was definitely premature. And borderline delusional in hindsight.
Nightengale’s premature Orioles hype isn’t aging well
Since that proclamation, Baltimore has gone 15-13. Just over a month later, as of July 89, they sit at 40-50, 7.5 games out of a wild card spot with more than half the league ahead of them in the postseason chase.
That momentum they once had stalled quickly against better competition.
After sweeping a depleted White Sox team and beating a Mariners squad that was limping through a tough stretch without key contributors, the Orioles were promptly punched in the mouth by the A’s and the AL Central-leading Tigers.
They dropped four of their next six, and the “statement wins” faded into the noise of a steady losing record.
Let’s call it like it is: in Major League Baseball, erasing a seven-game deficit isn’t impossible, but it’s incredibly difficult — especially for a team that still has glaring holes on both sides of the ball.
The Orioles rank 22nd in runs scored and 27th in team ERA.
They’re not just fighting an uphill battle — they still possess the kind of statistical profile you typically find on a team stuck in a rebuild, not one threatening a postseason berth. The numbers don’t lie.
Even with incremental improvements and some flashes of promise from young players, this is still a sub-.500 team. One that should be sellers at the deadline rather than miracle contenders.
Nightengale might have been trying to inject some excitement into the franchise, but it’s probably time for a more realistic outlook. Orioles fans deserve honesty — not empty hope wrapped in momentary hot streaks. The baby birds might be coming, but they’re certainly not here yet.
The future in Baltimore is bright, but 2025 looks more like the entrance to the window than one that’s wide open. Between Jackson Holliday’s rise to accompany Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman once he’s fully healthy.
The Orioles growing crop of talent, along with the eventual roster balance are headed somewhere.
But trying to jumpstart that narrative too soon only leads to disappointment — and in this case, makes a national insider look out of touch with reality.
