Is Tony Mansolino the right manager for the Orioles beyond 2025?

At the time of Hyde's firing, the Orioles had the second-worst record in the American League (ahead of only the White Sox), and carried a brutal -75 run differential. While Mansolino has steadied the ship, leading the team to a slight +7 run differential during his tenure, the overall season figure still sits at -68 (5th-worst in MLB).

In addition, pitching has remained a consistent weakness. Despite a bright spot in Trevor Rogers (1.44 ERA over nine starts), the staff has struggled overall, posting a 4.86 team ERA (27th in MLB).

Offensively, the regression of their young core of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Colton Cowser has been another concern. The core that helped drive back-to-back playoff appearances in 2023 (101 wins) and 2024 (91 wins) has not seen repeated success.

For a team that entered the season with championship aspirations, a leadership change to someone with more experience may be necessary to realign with that goal. That route has become more common in recent years, with the Cincinnati Reds bringing Terry Francona out of retirement in 2025, and with the Texas Rangers' hiring of Bruce Bochy that ultimately led to a World Series in 2023.

GM Mike Elias is currently weighing whether to bring in an outside hire, yet has made no indication whether Mansolino is a potential long-term option or simply just a placeholder.

Yet in yesterday's post-trade deadline video conference call, Elias remained optimistic about the team's standing for 2026.

"This isn’t what we wanted to be six months ago, but we’re in a much better spot than we were one month ago," Elias said. "We hope that this misfortune passes and we get back to where we expect and need to be going forward.”

If the Orioles are serious about returning to contention in 2026, they may look for a more experienced voice with postseason pedigree. While the numbers support Mansolino's steadiness during a turbulent season, is it enough? Whether he's the right fit or not depends on more than win-loss record.

If Baltimore is still building, Mansolino is a logical choice. If they expect to win soon as GM Mike Elias emphasized, the search may need to continue.