BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles, who were once flying high as contenders, are now facing significant struggles as the 2025 season begins. Fresh from a spectacular 101-win season in 2023, the team is grappling with some stark realities and adversity they haven’t experienced in recent years. The start to 2025 has been nothing less than turbulent, marked by a dismal record.
In an introspective moment, general manager Mike Elias confessed, “I think we’re getting a little more familiar with adversity than we wanted to be,” ahead of a hopeful 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. This meeting with the press came as the team found themselves at the bottom of the AL East with a troubling 12-18 record in April, compounded by holding the worst run differential in the league.
Central to the Orioles’ current woes is a slump in the performance of their young batting lineup, which had been a force during the early part of last year. Elias remains optimistic that this is just a temporary setback. However, a more pressing concern is the faltering performance of the starting pitchers, which could present a more formidable challenge to resolve.
The team’s roster is grappling with injuries as Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, and Albert Suarez are all sidelined. Dean Kremer finally delivered a promising performance, achieving seven scoreless innings despite a rough start with a 7.04 ERA. Tomoyuki Sugano remains a reliable option, but Charlie Morton has struggled significantly with a 0-6 record and a concerning 9.45 ERA, relegating him to work from the bullpen. Kyle Gibson’s debut was disappointing as well, allowing homers to four of the initial five batters.
Elias candidly accepted the consequences, stating, “It is difficult to contend with that level of injuries, but even that aside, they’ve had a poor start, and that’s my responsibility.” Questions were raised during the offseason when the Orioles lost out on Corbin Burnes and instead opted for one-year contracts for Sugano, Morton, and Gibson. Although these short-term contracts typically minimize long-term risk, their current underperformance at a collective cost of over $33 million questions the strategic allocation of resources.
A promising array of pitchers — Rodriguez, Eflin, Sugano, Kremer, and Cade Povich — was envisioned, with an eye on the recovery of Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells. Yet, the injuries to key players have forced Morton and Gibson to step up, and their performances have fallen short. Baltimore’s ERA ranked second to last in the league, slightly ahead of Miami.
Despite recent setbacks, the Orioles managed to clinch a series against the New York Yankees earlier in the week, albeit through a slim margin of one-run victories flanking a heavy 15-3 defeat. The team’s challenges are no secret, particularly when poor pitching leaves them scraping from behind too often.
Manager Brandon Hyde, expressing the prevailing sentiment, admitted, “Nobody’s happy with how we’ve performed so far. We have higher expectations for ourselves.” Despite the rocky start, Elias continues to support Hyde, saying, “It’s important to maintain a steady approach during both successes and failures.”
Looking ahead, Eflin and reliever Andrew Kittredge are set for minor league rehab appearances, while Rodriguez might resume tossing by the month’s end as he recovers from elbow inflammation. Elias remains hopeful, stating, “We have a lot of faith in this very talented group. We’re working hard to get everyone back to performing at their best.”
The Orioles continue to seek improvement, hoping to mend the fractures within the team and return to form as the season progresses. Step by step, they aim to steer clear of the current crisis, bolstered by the potential within their ranks.