It is no secret that the Baltimore Orioles have been one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball to this point in 2025.
While it is a well-known fact at this point, it does still come as a surprise after two consecutive trips to the postseason, and an offense poised for more development from its young core.
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One of the biggest causes for concern this year has been the Orioles’ pitching staff. Not many in MLB have been worse this year, and most of the struggles stem from multiple injuries and a lack of urgency from the front office to make any significant additions over the offseason.
A recent article from Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report took a look at the pitching staffs of all 30 teams, ranking them from best to worst. Surprise, Baltimore did not finish last, though they did rank 28th.
“Tomoyuki Sugano has been excellent,” Miller wrote, “Zach Eflin returned on Sunday after five weeks on the IL, and the back of this bullpen is pretty darn good—if and when it gets a lead to protect. But Charlie Morton and Kyle Gibson have been a mutual travesty at 0-9 with an ERA of roughly 10, and neither Dean Kremer nor Cade Povich is providing any value in the rotation. It is very clear the O’s no longer have Corbin Burnes and have yet to get Grayson Rodriguez on the mound this season.”
Sugano has been a rare find for the organization. The 35-year-old rookie has performed well in his first foray at the Major League level, much better than anyone expected him to.
The full 162 games are a grind, and while the first quarter of the season has come and gone, there is still more than enough time for the Orioles to right the ship.
However, they must do so fast or else they risk digging themselves a hole too big to climb out of.