Everything Broke in Baltimore — Now Comes the Reset
There are down seasons…and then there are warning-light seasons.
The Baltimore Orioles entered 2025 expecting to build on back-to-back playoff appearances and continue their rise as one of baseball’s most exciting young cores. Instead, everything unraveled — quickly, visibly, and painfully.
A 15–28 start cost 2023 Manager of the Year Brandon Hyde his job on May 17th (which I didn’t necessarily agree with). The offense stalled. The rotation collapsed. The bullpen cracked. By season’s end, Baltimore ranked in the bottom third of the league in nearly every meaningful statistical category.
For a franchise that felt like it was ascending, 2025 wasn’t just disappointing — it was alarming.
2025 Review: When the Floor Fell Out
Baltimore’s problems weren’t subtle. They were systemic.
The lineup never replaced the production of Anthony Santander, who departed for Toronto in free agency. Even if Santander didn’t light up the stat sheet with the Blue Jays, his absence was glaring in Baltimore. The Orioles lacked consistent power protection behind their young stars, allowing opposing pitching staffs to attack them more aggressively. Long innings dried up. Big rallies became rare. Too many games felt like uphill climbs from the first pitch.
But the biggest red flag lived on the mound.
Starting pitching was a massive weakness — one the front office effectively created. The Orioles declined to re-sign Corbin Burnes after acquiring him as a 2024 deadline rental, allowing him to walk to Arizona without a long-term replacement plan in place. That gamble backfired spectacularly.
Baltimore’s rotation struggled to provide length, consistency, or reliability. Too many games turned into bullpen marathons by the fourth inning. Young arms were forced into roles they weren’t ready for. The lack of an ace permeated the entire staff.
When you combine shaky starting pitching with inconsistent offense and average defense, you get exactly what Baltimore became in 2025: a team spinning its wheels and searching for answers. If you had told the Orioles prior to 2025 that and AL East Team would reach the World Series, they’d have reason to confidently believe you were talking about them. Instead, they fell way behind.
The managerial change midseason reflected the urgency — but also the instability.
Reasons for Optimism: The Core Is Still Real
Despite how ugly 2025 looked in the standings, the Orioles are far from broken.
Gunnar Henderson remains a perennial MVP candidate and the heartbeat of the franchise. His combination of power, plate discipline, and leadership continues to give Baltimore a legitimate superstar foundation.
Jackson Holliday took meaningful steps forward in his sophomore season, settling into big-league pitching and showing why he remains one of the sport’s premier young talents. His development stabilizes the infield and gives Baltimore another cornerstone to build around long term.
Adley Rutschman remains a steady presence behind the plate. The bones of a competitive team are still here.
Which is why the front office pivoted aggressively this offseason.
A Necessary Swing: Adding Pete Alonso
If 2025 taught Baltimore anything, it’s that young talent alone isn’t enough.
The signing of Pete Alonso directly addresses the offensive void left by Santander — and then some. Alonso brings legitimate middle-of-the-order thunder, lineup protection, and playoff-tested presence. His ability to change games with one swing instantly reshapes how opposing pitchers must attack Baltimore’s lineup.
It also takes pressure off Henderson and Holliday, allowing the offense to breathe instead of forcing young stars to carry everything themselves.
This was the type of assertive move Baltimore needed to make after a season where passivity hurt them.
The Biggest Question: Where’s the Ace?
Even with Alonso in the fold, one issue remains unresolved — and it’s the most important one.
Baltimore still lacks a true frontline starting pitcher. And they have for years. To fans, it looked like they’d finally found that guy in Corbin Burnes – until it didn’t.
Letting Burnes walk exposed just how fragile the rotation really was. Until the Orioles identify or acquire their ace of the future, this roster’s ceiling remains capped. Playoff teams need someone who can stop losing streaks, dominate in October environments, and stabilize young staffs.
Whether that ace comes via trade, free agency, or internal development will define the next phase of this rebuild-turned-retool. They did acquire Shane Baz and Zach Eflin this offseason, but neither guy is a number one.
A few names I’d consider? Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen are probably the two number ones who are truly acquire-able. Or you could try to make a reclamation project out of Patrick Corbin. Or you could take the duct tape, committee approach and sign a Max Scherzer or a Justin Verlander, who pitched much better in 2025 with the San Francisco Giants than his 4-11 record makes it seem. The 3-time Cy Young Award Winner, who will be 43 years old by the time Spring Training rolls around, tallied a 3.85 ERA in 29 starts and had a 2.6 K-BB ratio in 152 innings.
There are 3 different approaches the Orioles can take to stabilize their pitching staff. They just need to DO SOMETHING.
2026 Outlook: Bounce Back or Repeat?
The Orioles and their fanbase have every reason to believe 2026 can look drastically different.
They have elite young talent. They added real power. They experienced their worst-case scenario already.
Everything that could go wrong in 2025 did go wrong.
But baseball has a way of humbling even the most optimistic projections. Pitching depth remains fragile. The AL East isn’t getting easier. Development curves aren’t guaranteed.
Baltimore’s challenge now isn’t just rebounding — it’s proving that 2025 was an anomaly rather than a warning sign.
Because if this core takes the next step, the Orioles can reinsert themselves into the playoff conversation quickly.
But if the rotation remains unstable?
Well…lightning can strike twice.
…right?
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