The Baltimore Orioles‘ are already in panic mode after a horrendous start to the 2025 season. The franchise has one of the best young cores in the sport and is coming off back-to-back playoff appearances. Despite this, they are in last place in the AL East with a lackluster 15-24 record.
So, what is wrong with the Orioles?
It’s obvious what the issue is – starting pitching. The ball club has a 5.31 ERA, which is the second worst in the MLB. There are four starters that deserve blame for the pitching woes.
Charlie Morton – Morton has already been relegated to the bullpen. Morton has been a solid starter for the duration of his career, but this year we’ve seen a disappointing change. He has a 8.82 ERA and hitters are batting .317 against him. Looks like Father Time has finally caught up to Morton.
Dean Kremer – Kramer has been a dependable starter over the past three years where he has combined for a sub-4 ERA in 427.2 innings pitched. Like the rest on the list, he’s heavily struggling this year with a 5.24 ERA.
Kyle Gibson – Gibson was the Orioles’ offseason answer to a serious lack of pitching depth. He signed a one-year, $5.25 million deal on March 22nd. While the 37 year old has only pitched in 3 games, he holds a 13.11 ERA and 2.49 WHIP. Not exactly the free agency bargain the Orioles thought they got.
Cade Povich – Povich is a second year pitcher for the Orioles. Since the start of last season, his ERA has been over 5. He is only 25 years old so it’s not time to give up on him yet. Still, he’s third percentile in pitching run value and is not helping the Orioles at this point.
Obviously, the pitching is a mess. The Orioles don’t have an ace and don’t have enough depth to have a half decent rotation.
How to Fix the Problem
The biggest reason for the struggles this year are due to the current philosophy of the Orioles front office. Ben Palmer of Pitcher List reported in December that General Manager Mike Elias doesn’t want to spend money: “Baltimore Orioles General Manager Mike Elias is unwilling to spend significant amounts of money in free agency this offseason despite new team owner David Rubenstein’s expressed willingness to do so, according to a source close to the Orioles’ front office.” Elias’ reluctance to spend real money is burning this club’s chances to be a legitimate contender.
This offseason, Elias let Corbin Burnes walk in free agency. Burnes was the Orioles ace in 2024 and was the same dominant pitcher he’s always been. If you want to play devil’s advocate, you could argue that Burnes was not worth the $210 million contract he received. Either way, the Orioles didn’t execute a plan to replace him.
The finger pointing is too easy when breaking down the Orioles’ problems. Their front office refuses to spend money and because of that, the primes of superstars Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman are being wasted. Until the Orioles actually spend money, they will continue in their mediocrity.
The Orioles’ Problems are Deeper than their Pitching