Orioles ace accomplishes historically rare feat

Ahead of the trade deadline in 2024, Baltimore sent two prospects, outfielder Kyle Stowers and infielder Connor Norby, to Miami in exchange for the left-handed pitcher. It looked like a disaster of a trade out of the gate after Rogers was demoted to Triple-A following a disastrous four-start stretch to begin his Orioles tenure.

To make matter worse, Stowers has turned into a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat for the Marlins, earning a spot on the NL All-Star Team this year. Given the current state of Baltimore’s outfield, Stowers would sure look nice roaming the grass in Camden Yards.

However, the script has been flipped by Rogers, who has looked like a totally new pitcher in 2025. He is performing at an incredibly high level, blowing away even what he did in 2021 en route to a historically hot run; the 27-year-old's 1.43 ERA through his first 11 starts is the best for an Orioles pitcher since Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm in 1959, when he had an ERA of 1.11 through his first 11 starts.

Whatever work Rogers did over the offseason and earlier this year ramping up from an offseason injury has paid major dividends. He isn’t just taking advantage of bottom-feeding teams, either: over his last three starts, Rogers has thrown 21 innings with 20 strikeouts and two walks, registering a 1.29 ERA and 1.49 FIP against the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners, three legitimate playoff contenders.

Baltimore certainly hopes this level of performance is here to stay, with Rogers looking like an ace to build the rotation around. If he does maintain this form, then the Orioles may be inclined to give him a well-deserved contract extension.