Aug 3, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Baltimore Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino (36) makes a pitching change against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. David Banks-Imagn Images

Orioles should have a clear plan to create success next season

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 8:00 AM ET

After a disappointing first half of the season, the Baltimore Orioles are a very different-looking team than they were on Opening Day.

This was a team that was expected to be a playoff contender after making the postseason for two straight years with a budding core of talent. Unfortunately, Baltimore was never able to burst out of their slow start, and they have been in last place in the American League East for most of the campaign.

Even though making the playoffs isn’t going to happen, there are still a lot of games left to play for the Orioles. With the team still being very young, they should be thinking about the future and how to get the franchise back into the postseason in 2026.

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN recently wrote about the plan for the Orioles in the second half of the year being very simple, and that is to play the kids.

“The names you want to see as much as possible from here: Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo, Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad, Samuel Basallo ... just turn them loose and see what it looks like. That's what this deadline was all about, wasn't it?”

Which Young Player Will Stand Out?

Samuel Basallo goes deep for the third straight game at Triple-A

MLB's No. 9 prospect (@Orioles) has a 1.012 OPS at just 20 years old, and his 23 homers for the @NorfolkTides lead all @MiLB catchers this season: pic.twitter.com/s4FU6Mo10T
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 7, 2025

While this might not have been the plan going into the year, the Orioles deserve some credit for pivoting well. Even though some of the struggles were because of poor offseason decisions to replace stars, nearly every veteran on an expiring contract was moved at the trade deadline, and the organization has a ton of new talent in the minors as a result.

Going forward, figuring out which pieces from the organization can be built around in 2026 and beyond should be the goal. Fortunately, there is already a great core in place with Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, and Gunnar Henderson. Now it's time to see if Coby Mayo can be an everyday player and showcase what he was able to do in the minors. Mayo had a productive game on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, so hopefully that can get him going.

Coby Mayo launches a 3-run homer for the @Orioles! pic.twitter.com/DBZfxnltet
— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2025

Furthermore, there is a lot of excitement surrounding slugger Samuel Basallo as well. He hasn’t been called up yet but is considered to be the best prospect in Baltimore's system and a top 10 prospect in the majors; Dylan Beavers is in Triple-A alongside Basallo, and is another name to keep an eye on.

Overall, while the campaign might have been a disappointment, there are still a lot of positive opportunities to take advantage of for the rest of the season.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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