Baltimore Orioles 2025 season preview: How good can this team be?
Updated: 3:17 PM EDT Mar 27, 2025
The Baltimore Orioles have made the playoffs the past two seasons but have not been able to win a game during the postseason. Will they have enough this season?They have a talented team that should compete for a playoff spot, but early injuries and a ton of questions around the pitching staff could be speed bumps on the way to a successful season.The team may be as talented as last year’s group, but the rest of the division is better and will make it a tough competition for the AL East title. The Orioles will have to overcome a couple of injuries and answer a trio of key questions if this season going to be a successful one. Question 1: How long will Gunnar Henderson be out?Orioles’ shortstop Gunnar Henderson will start the season on the injured list and is expected to miss at least the first couple games of the season. If his injury is worse than initially believed, then the Orioles could be in trouble. Henderson is an MVP candidate who has been the team’s best player since making his debut in 2022. Henderson will be a huge hole to fill if he misses significant time. He is the best hitter on the team and a team leader despite his young age (23). They will turn to their former No. 1 prospect, Jackson Holliday, to fill in at shortstop to start the season. He had a disappointing rookie season in 2024 but is playing well this spring and could be ready for a breakout season.Question 2: How to replace Corbin Burnes and Anthony SantanderThe team lost a pair of high-profile free agents in All-Stars Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander. The team reportedly made a “significant” offer to Burnes, but he decided to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They found Santander’s replacement early in free agency when they signed outfielder Tyler O’Neill from the Boston Red Sox. He is not a switch-hitter, but he brings the same — if not more — power as Santander to the lineup.On the pitching side, instead of investing more than $200 million in Burnes, the Orioles will rely on a pair of veterans to help fill the void. They signed 41-year-old Charlie Morton and 36-year-old Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano for a combined $28 million. Morton has been the definition of consistency, with 30 starts in the past six full MLB seasons and an ERA of 3.64 since 2018. He was a part of the 2021 World Series-winning Atlanta Braves and has 17 playoff starts over his career.The Orioles have a good idea of what to expect from Morton, but that is not the case for Sugano, who is one of the most accomplished Japanese pitchers, but he has never pitched in the majors. He comes off an MVP season in Japan and has been lights-out during spring training, but the Orioles will have to take a wait-and-see approach with him. They hope his game translates to the majors and that he can continue the success he saw in Japan. Question 3: What to expect from pitchers returning from injuries?Some of the Orioles’ best pitchers are set to return from missing most, if not all of the 2024 season. In the bullpen, the team is looking forward to their dominant closer Felix Bautista who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023. His return to form will help the bullpen become the strength of this team. The team lost a pair of pitchers to injuries during the spring. Reliever Andrew Kitteridge underwent knee surgery and will miss a couple of months. Starter Grayson Rodriguez will start the year on the injured list with elbow soreness, and a timeline has not been set on his recovery.The biggest injury question surrounds Kyle Bradish, who was the team’s best pitcher in 2023, but whose season was cut short due to an elbow injury. He is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will be out until July or August. If he can bounce back and return to form, he could be a late-season addition that could be the difference in the O’s making the playoffs or not. PredictionThe Orioles will be competitive in the division but are more likely headed toward a Wild Card spot as they did last season. They should finish with around 88 to 92 wins, and it all depends on how and when certain players return to the team. That should be good enough to clinch a Wild Card spot, and hopefully, they can overcome the recent lack of success in the playoffs.
BALTIMORE —The Baltimore Orioles have made the playoffs the past two seasons but have not been able to win a game during the postseason. Will they have enough this season?
They have a talented team that should compete for a playoff spot, but early injuries and a ton of questions around the pitching staff could be speed bumps on the way to a successful season.
The team may be as talented as last year’s group, but the rest of the division is better and will make it a tough competition for the AL East title. The Orioles will have to overcome a couple of injuries and answer a trio of key questions if this season going to be a successful one.
Question 1: How long will Gunnar Henderson be out?
Orioles’ shortstop Gunnar Henderson will start the season on the injured list and is expected to miss at least the first couple games of the season. If his injury is worse than initially believed, then the Orioles could be in trouble. Henderson is an MVP candidate who has been the team’s best player since making his debut in 2022.
Henderson will be a huge hole to fill if he misses significant time. He is the best hitter on the team and a team leader despite his young age (23). They will turn to their former No. 1 prospect, Jackson Holliday, to fill in at shortstop to start the season. He had a disappointing rookie season in 2024 but is playing well this spring and could be ready for a breakout season.
Question 2: How to replace Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander
The team lost a pair of high-profile free agents in All-Stars Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander. The team reportedly made a “significant” offer to Burnes, but he decided to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They found Santander’s replacement early in free agency when they signed outfielder Tyler O’Neill from the Boston Red Sox. He is not a switch-hitter, but he brings the same — if not more — power as Santander to the lineup.
On the pitching side, instead of investing more than $200 million in Burnes, the Orioles will rely on a pair of veterans to help fill the void. They signed 41-year-old Charlie Morton and 36-year-old Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano for a combined $28 million. Morton has been the definition of consistency, with 30 starts in the past six full MLB seasons and an ERA of 3.64 since 2018. He was a part of the 2021 World Series-winning Atlanta Braves and has 17 playoff starts over his career.
The Orioles have a good idea of what to expect from Morton, but that is not the case for Sugano, who is one of the most accomplished Japanese pitchers, but he has never pitched in the majors. He comes off an MVP season in Japan and has been lights-out during spring training, but the Orioles will have to take a wait-and-see approach with him. They hope his game translates to the majors and that he can continue the success he saw in Japan.
Question 3: What to expect from pitchers returning from injuries?
Some of the Orioles’ best pitchers are set to return from missing most, if not all of the 2024 season. In the bullpen, the team is looking forward to their dominant closer Felix Bautista who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023. His return to form will help the bullpen become the strength of this team.
The team lost a pair of pitchers to injuries during the spring. Reliever Andrew Kitteridge underwent knee surgery and will miss a couple of months. Starter Grayson Rodriguez will start the year on the injured list with elbow soreness, and a timeline has not been set on his recovery.
The biggest injury question surrounds Kyle Bradish, who was the team’s best pitcher in 2023, but whose season was cut short due to an elbow injury. He is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will be out until July or August. If he can bounce back and return to form, he could be a late-season addition that could be the difference in the O’s making the playoffs or not.
Prediction
The Orioles will be competitive in the division but are more likely headed toward a Wild Card spot as they did last season. They should finish with around 88 to 92 wins, and it all depends on how and when certain players return to the team. That should be good enough to clinch a Wild Card spot, and hopefully, they can overcome the recent lack of success in the playoffs.
