The Orioles fired Brandon Hyde as manager on May 17. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Here's who really failed last-place Orioles

By Colin Cerniglia | Last updated May 19, 2025 3:41 PM ET

Brandon Hyde is gone, but the Baltimore Orioles' problems remain.

The Orioles fired the 2023 AL Manager of the Year on Saturday, a desperate move by an organization spiraling at 15-30. Entering play Monday, the Orioles are 11.5 games behind the first-place Yankees in the American League East.

A year ago, these same Orioles were 29-15 with playoff aspirations that eventually materialized. Now their postseason chances have plummeted to 2.7% according to FanGraphs, down from 45% prior to Opening Day.

"As the head of baseball operations, the poor start to our season is ultimately my responsibility," executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said in the team's statement after canning Hyde.

Actions speak louder than words. Just 14 days earlier, Elias offered this assessment: "Very confident in Brandon Hyde. When we're experiencing failure, it's really important in that job — and in my job, too — to be consistent with your approach, and he's doing that."

Hyde navigated Baltimore from 110 losses in 2021 to 101 wins and an AL East crown in 2023. His reward? Becoming the fall guy for failures that belong squarely in the front office.

The Orioles' pitching ranks 29th (of 30) in ERA, 27th in WHIP and 23rd in team fWAR. This collapse wasn't just predictable; it was inevitable after Elias failed to adequately replace RHP Corbin Burnes (now with Arizona) or build necessary depth to withstand injuries to right-handers Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin.

Meanwhile, ownership promises ring hollow. Private equity billionaire David Rubenstein acquired the team promising investment, but he hasn't delivered despite the team's huge needs.

"These guys took over at a really unusual time, right at Opening Day," Elias said in August 2024. "They certainly gave us everything that we needed to explore everything."

Where exactly is this support? Per Spotrac, the Orioles entered 2025 in the middle of the pack in team payroll despite coming off back-to-back playoff appearances.

No significant free-agent additions. No contract extensions for core players. Nothing but empty rhetoric.

The deterioration extends to franchise cornerstone, catcher Adley Rutschman. After going 3-for-5 with two homers on Opening Day, the former No. 1 overall pick has cratered to .209/.301/.340. This continues last season's troubling trend in which Rutschman hit .300 through June 27 before collapsing to .189/.279/.280 thereafter.

Hyde's dismissal completes a rare arc. He survived a complete teardown only to be discarded during the competitive window he helped create. He deserved better.

The real tragedy isn't Hyde's firing. It's watching a golden opportunity slip away as Baltimore's promising young core wastes precious competitive years because of organizational malpractice.

Fire the manager. Blame the players. Point fingers everywhere but the mirror.

The Orioles' problems started in the front office, which put the team in its massive predicament.

Colin Cerniglia

Colin Cerniglia is an Amazon bestselling author, co-host of the "2 Jocks and a Schlub" podcast from Blue Wire, and a contributor to The Charlotte Observer. With a deep passion for baseball and college football, he offers extensive knowledge and enthusiasm to his writing. Colin resides in Charlotte, NC, with his wife and two daughters

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