Bullpen Could End Up Being Orioles' Greatest Strength This Season

It has been a disappointing start to the season for the Baltimore Orioles, who have been unable to overcome injuries to key players early on. 

This spring, there was a lot of concern that the Orioles might have actually headed in the wrong direction after a subpar winter. 

Baltimore lost two key players in free agency with both Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander leaving. 

As the ace of the staff and the best power hitter on the team, replacing them was never going to be easy. 

So far, that's proven to be the case. The Orioles' starting rotation has been a mess with their top two pitchers now on the injured list. 

Furthermore, even the lineup hasn’t lived up to expectations so far, but Gunnar Henderson did just recently return from a brief stint on the IL to begin the year. 

Even though things are looking bleak early on, there is still plenty of time to get healthy and turn things around. 

While Felix Bautista might not quite be in form yet after missing the entire 2024 campaign, that is understandable. However, he has shown some recent signs of improvement, suggesting a return to dominance could be right around the corner. 

Even though the All-Star closer is obviously key to the success of Baltimore's bullpen, there are many others who are performing well. 

So far in 2025, the unit is ranked in the top 10 in the majors in bullpen ERA at 3.35. This is a strong number early on for the team, and the argument can be made that it is their bullpen that is the greatest strength so far. 

With the team's starters ranking 26th in ERA, the pitching staff is relying on good performances out of the pen. 

With a bullpen that appears to be above average this season and a lineup that has the talent to be dangerous, it really comes down to whether the Orioles can figure out their starting rotation or not. 

If not, the bullpen will likely become overtaxed and lose steam as the season progresses, but hopefully it doesn't come to that.