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While few fans expected the catastrophic start the Baltimore Orioles are currently enduring, the storm clouds were easy to spot. The ballclub was below .500 in the second half of last season, scored only one run in a two-game sweep versus the Kansas City Royals in the American League Wild Card Series and then failed to effectively address its biggest roster concerns. All of those issues have given way to a downpour of misery in Camden Yards.
After amassing a ghastly 15-28 record, the O's dismissed 2023 AL Manager of the Year Brandon Hyde from his post. The team has dropped three straight since then and is currently in the midst of a seven-game losing streak. There is nothing Baltimore can do right now to plug the holes in their leaky ceiling, as a should-be prosperous campaign becomes flooded in disappointment. Although it is still only May, the Orioles' playoff hopes already appear to be in serious danger.
Fans demand accountability. Mike Elias, the club's general manager since 2018, is in their sights. The former Executive of the Year helped build a talented roster that won 200-plus games from 2023-24, and he believes he has what it takes to pivot.
“I have had a lot of success, I believe, in my career, and I think that we did a really strong job in building up the franchise to the position it was in, at least through the end of 2024,” Elias told reporters when asked how confident he is in his ability to lead the Orioles moving forward, per the Baltimore Sun's Matt Weyrich. “This is deeply disappointing to me and I'm doing everything in my power to correct and improve it.”
Orioles’ Mike Elias when asked how confident he is in his own ability to lead the franchise forward:
“I have had a lot of success, I believe, in my career, and I think that we did a really strong job in building up the franchise. … This is deeply disappointing to me and I'm… pic.twitter.com/4EQfg5bzsS
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) May 20, 2025
Bad luck does not let the Orioles off the hook
It might be too late to “correct” this bleak situation. Yes, the starting pitching rotation is shorthanded, with Grayson Rodriguez yet to make his season debut due to a lat/elbow injury and Zach Eflin missing a month of action with a lat strain of his own. The lineup is also missing key pieces. Colton Cowser (fractured thumb) and Jordan Westburg (hamstring strain) have spent most of the year on the injured list. This group is well below full strength. But there is still plenty of accountability to go around.
The Orioles' pitching staff has struggled to stay healthy for the last couple of years, so Mike Elias should have anticipated more misfortune to hit the squad in 2025. His decision to sign Japanese veteran Tomoyuki Sugano in free agency has produced positive results thus far, as evidenced by his 3.08 ERA, but 41-year-old Charlie Morton and the returning Kyle Gibson are painfully showing the effects of Father Time's touch. Tyler O'Neill, the recipient of a three-year $49.5 million contract, is hitting below the Mendoza Line and is already serving his second stint on the IL.
The GM's gaffes have clearly affected the Orioles, but owner David Rubenstein cannot skirt blame.
It usually starts at the top
The Baltimore native assumed control over a year ago, so there are no excuses he can make about the past regime. He must empower Elias to do what is needed to re-ignite this franchise. Small-market teams cannot just wait things out and let their core players continue the development process. They must capitalize on their promise when they have the opportunity.
Many fans are worried the organization already closed its contention window. However, the players themselves must obviously produce on the field. Adley Rutschman's plunge has persisted to the tune of a .208 batting average and .637 OPS (entering Tuesday). Ryan Mountcastle has just two home runs in 45 games. Gunnar Henderson is also not meeting his high standard. Dean Kremer has a 5.50 ERA after 10 starts. Former All-Star reliever Yennier Cano is not himself, either — 5.06 ERA and .467 slugging percentage against.
There are a bevy of problems to fix. Mike Elias' track record and public proclamations are doing nothing to revive the ailing Orioles. If he is unable to spark a turnaround soon, one of the quickest falls from grace an MLB executive has ever experienced will conclude.
