2025 MLB First-Half Recap: Baltimore Orioles

The Pitching

The Good

Although the Orioles’ peripheral offensive numbers have not been impressive, the good news is that some players have taken a step in the right direction.

Arguably the biggest step forward this season came from Jackson Holliday, who struggled mightily to hit fastballs last season. This season, Holliday’s swing is a tad shorter (6’9” average in 2025, 7.1” in 2024), he’s knocked the whiff down on his fastballs, and has become more productive at the plate.

Holliday hit .259/.308/.414 (.722 OPS) with 12 home runs at the break, establishing himself as the team’s everyday second baseman.

Ryan O’Hearn, meanwhile, became a valued everyday player for the Orioles, helping fill the void left behind by Anthony Santander. O’Hearn posted a .825 OPS over his first 86 games this season. His performance helped him nab a spot in the All-Star Game.

As for the Orioles’ pitching staff, there haven’t been many success stories. However, two positives can be taken from the first half.

One, Felix Bautista is healthy. The Orioles’ closer has been formidable despite hiccups here & there. He picked up 19 saves as of July 22.

Additionally, Trevor Rogers has emerged as a legitimate starter. Rogers, a former NL All-Star, struggled both with Miami and Baltimore last season but has turned a corner in 2025. He’s increased the usage on the four-seamer, and across his first seven starts, he posted a tidy 1.74 ERA.

The Bad

Only the Rockies came into the All-Star break with a higher starters’ ERA than the Orioles. Baltimore’s pitching woes during the first half were a culmination of several factors.

The first was injuries, as the Orioles did not have Grayson Rodriguez or Kyle Bradish for the first half. Bradish was expected, as he’s recovering from Tommy John surgery. Rodriguez, meanwhile, has dealt with nagging elbow problems, coupled with a lat strain that’s prevented him from making positive moves towards getting back on the mound.

Two, the Orioles’ offseason moves didn’t pan out as hoped. Rather than go big to replace Corbin Burnes, Baltimore added older veterans on short-term deals. The O’s signed Charlie Morton, former Japanese star Tomoyuki Sugano, and also added the recently-retired Kyle Gibson in late March.

While Morton still averages over a strikeout per inning, his 9.3 K/9 would be the lowest of his career since his rebound years with the Astros. Sugano, meanwhile, was not a swing-and-miss pitcher in Japan, and that’s bitten him somewhat this season, with a high 11.4% Barrel%.

Offensively, it’s also been a down year for Adley Rutschman (.691 OPS) and Colton Cowser (.713 OPS) this season, both of whom have dealt with injury troubles. Additionally, Tyler O’Neill (.582 OPS) has dealt with injury problems yet again, while Heston Kjerstad (.566 OPS) has not taken a step forward.

When it’s all added together, the Orioles’ ability (or lack thereof, in 2025), as well as their pitching woes, led to the ouster of manager Brandon Hyde. Hyde was replaced by Tony Mansolino, who had a positive record (29-27) over the course of his first 56 games.

What to Expect in Second Half

The Orioles are expected to be a highly-popular team over the next few weeks.

Baltimore already traded reliever Bryan Baker to the Rays, and that’s likely expected to be the start. Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Zach Eflin, Seranthony Dominguez, and Gregory Soto are all pending free agents, as are Morton & Sugano.

It could mean a lot of moving parts for the Orioles.

First-half stats as of All-Star break. Cited stats in paragraphs as of writing.