Searching for Identity: The Orioles' Uncertain 2025 Season

May 16, 2025

Struggling to See the Orioles’ Vision

The Baltimore Orioles are adrift. A month into the 2025 season, their vision and identity remain murky, and the results reflect it: a 15–27 record, a steep climb to even sniff the playoffs. The roster is underperforming, the coaching staff seems directionless, and the front office’s decisions raise more questions than answers. Where do you begin to salvage a season when the foundation feels this unsteady?

A Disjointed Identity

The Orioles’ identity crisis isn’t new—it’s been brewing since last year’s trade deadline, when the front office signaled a lack of all-in commitment. Hyde, who’s been with this core from the ground up, seemed at odds with that approach. As an outsider, I can’t confirm the disconnect, but the team’s play suggested a lack of buy-in. This season, that rift has only widened.

The young core was supposed to define this team, but they’re not delivering consistently. If the players can’t set the tone, the coaching staff must. Yet Hyde’s leadership feels increasingly tenuous, and while Elias deserves credit for recognizing pitching issues, his solutions often miss the mark. Moving Camden Yards’ left-field wall back was a Band-Aid that hurt the offense more than it helped the pitching. The failure to extend young talent, give prospects meaningful runway, or develop top-tier starters is glaring. Brandon Young’s 2025 debut was the first time a starting pitcher drafted and developed under Elias reached the majors..

Missed Opportunities

The front office’s prospect management is puzzling. Just days before Kyle Stowers was traded, I noted in a scouting report: “He can hit this level of pitching with his approach. He needs a big-league opportunity.” The trade for Trevor Rogers, while bold, cost valuable position players, and the larger developmental trend remains concerning. Meanwhile, Zach Eflin’s addition was a rare bright spot.

The pitching staff’s fragility was exposed further by MLB’s recent decision to shrink the umpire buffer zone—a change that demands more precision from starters. If the Orioles knew about this shift entering the offseason, their failure to pursue a frontline starter or bolster an already shaky bullpen (bottom-third ERA in 2024, with a closer returning from Tommy John) is puzzling. Teams like the Tigers and Brewers leaned into “pitching chaos” last year to shorten games. The Orioles, with starters unable to go deep, needed that flexibility—or at least a surplus of arms to flip at the deadline. Instead, they entered 2025 unprepared with predictable free agent signings.

By the Numbers

At 15–27, the Orioles would need to play .608 baseball to reach 88 wins, the Wild Card threshold as of 5/16/25.

Could that WC threshold go down? Sure, and even if the Orioles revert to their .593 form' from the past two seasons, they’d only finish with 86 wins—probably short of the postseason.

Playoff hopes are fading fast, and slipping into the unrealistic expectations category.

What I Saw

I waited to write this until I saw the team live, and the view from field level was troubling. Defensively, communication was nonexistent. With a modest crowd (~10,000), I could barely hear players on the field. Miscues stemmed from poor coordination—missed responsibilities, balls not knocked down, plays lacking urgency. Defense reflects pride, and this team’s slide from 5th in fielding percentage in 2023 to 16th in 2025 tells the story.

Offensively, too many hitters seemed to be getting outsmarted pitch-to-pitch. I noticed a lot of eyes glued to iPads between at-bats. One hitter I felt consistently made mid at bat adjustments—Gunnar Henderson. He looked engaged, locked in, always anticipating a pitch or two-ahead. When I glanced into the dugout, it was almost always Gunnar hanging over the railing, studying the game. In contrast, others seemed too reliant on the iPad rather than instincts … In a game where you have to make adjustments pitch to pitch, if you need an iPad to tell you everything you need to know I’m afraid you’ve already lost the battle as a hitter.

Dean Kremer’s outing was decent, but a homer to Christian Vazquez was a tough one to swallow. Especially how he ambushed him earlier and then came out swinging in his next at bat. Still, it was a respectable performance in a season short on them.

A Call for Accountability

This a plea for clarity. The Orioles have talent but no direction short or long term. Hard questions need answers: What is this team’s vision, is this a rebuild? How do you go about acquiring/developing top line starters - starters that put an end to losing streaks? Is a shakeup at the helm necessary ? Without a course correction soon the 2025 risks slipping away before it ever takes shape.

As always, whether you loved or hated this article let me know. Remember 3 ups & 3 downs. Give me 3 things you liked followed by 3 things you hated.

Failure to plan is planning to fail. Remain resolved in your pursuits.

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Free Agent Evaluation & Prediction — Christian Walker - Dec 6, 2024
Ha-Seong Kim Free Agent Analysis: A Diamond in the Rough - Dec 17, 2024
Nationals-Rangers Trade: Nathaniel Lowe for Robert Garcia - Dec 25, 2024

cc:

David Rubenstein

Chris’s Substack

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