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The Baltimore Orioles have been the most disappointing team of the 2025 MLB season. After consecutive playoff berths to kick off the Baby Birds era, they are in the basement of the American League East to start the season. They have gotten miserable performances from almost everyone, but three players are in the crosshairs. Orioles fans are fed up with Adley Rutschman, Charlie Morton, and Tyler O'Neill and have every right to be.
There have already been changes on the Orioles' bench this year. Brandon Hyde was fired amid an eight-game losing streak, ending his seven-year run as the manager. From winning a division and the manager of the year in 2023 to being unemployed less than 50 games into 2025, there is no better microcosm of Baltimore's season. Things have to change, and these three players are the keys to that happening.
Charlie Morton has fallen off a cliff
For a long time, Charlie Morton was the model of consistency among veteran pitchers. He nearly won a Cy Young at 35, was dominant in a World Series run at 37, and signed with the Orioles at 41. From a solid starting pitcher last year with the Braves just last year, Morton has been one of the worst pitchers in baseball this year. He has been removed from the rotation but has not improved in the bullpen.
Morton made five starts to begin the year and posted a 10.39 ERA. While no one was expecting him to actually replace Corbin Burnes, they needed more than that. So, once Kyle Gibson was ready to go, Morton went to the bullpen. Since then, he has made six appearances, including one start, with a 3.78 ERA. Still, the Orioles are 0-6 in these games. Morton needs to be a solid starting pitcher for the Orioles to have any chance at soaring into playoff contention.
The Orioles need more from Adley Rutschman
In 2023, Adley Rutschman posted an .809 OPS, knocked in 90 runs, and finished ninth in AL MVP voting. Before the All-Star Break last year, Rutschman hit 16 homers, had 59 RBIs, and posted a .780 OPS. Then, he went to Texas to represent the American League. That is the last time he was a great hitter, as his numbers have tanked since. In the second half of last year, he hit only three homers with a .585 OPS. And so far this year, it has not been much better, with a .633 OPS entering Wednesday.
Rutschman is the key to the Orioles' offense and needs to turn it around quickly. With his batting average barely staying over .200, they are not getting any offense from one of their top offensive players. Gunnar Henderson has figured it out after a slow start, but Rutschman has not.
The lingering conversation around the Orioles is what they will do when these players hit free agency. Rutschman will be an unrestricted free agent in 2028 at 30 years old. If his form continues to slip, the Orioles may have to walk away from their number one overall pick.
Tyler O'Neill needs to deliver more when he comes back
Last season, Tyler O'Neill led the Boston Red Sox in home runs. So, when the Orioles lost Anthony Santander, they brought O'Neill in. He has only played 24 games, with two stints on the injured list stunting any momentum, and his numbers are horrible. He has a .188 batting average, .605 OPS, and only two homers. When he comes back, O'Neill needs to be the power hitter he was last year.
Orioles owner David Rubenstein was crushed by fans and pundits for not spending enough money this offseason. They lost Burnes and Santander and replaced them with Morton and O'Neill. That is a massive part of the reason why the Orioles have struggled this year. If Baltimore is going to cheap out on free agents, the ones that they sign need to outperform their contracts.
The Orioles' final broke their winning streak on Wednesday against the Brewers. Could it finally put the Birds on the right track? Without these three players stepping up, that will be nearly impossible.
