Going into the 2025 season, big things were expected of the Baltimore Orioles. For the past few seasons, the Orioles were in the thick of postseason contention. However, injuries, ineffectiveness, and regression have doomed Baltimore to the basement of the AL East. As the campaign draws to a close, interim manager Tony Mansolino ranted about the team to O's beat reporter Andy Kostka via X, formerly Twitter.
“I hope these guys are pissed off, and I hope that they're hungry, and I know that they are,” Mansolino stated. “I hope this has been very eye-opening to them, on what it takes to win at this level and how slim the margins are.”
Stacked with young position player talent like the middle infield duo of shortstop Gunnar Henderson and second baseman Jackson Holliday, a lack of growth and injuries from those talented youngsters hampered the Orioles. Now, president of baseball operations, Mike Elias needs to decide on who will lead Baltimore on the field moving forward. Will it be Mansolino, or will another option prove to be the better choice?
Orioles look to rebound from disappointing 2025 campaign
One of the Orioles' biggest question marks is their starting rotation. Picked up in a trade deadline deal last season, lefty Trevor Rogers has been a revelation. The 27-year-old is 9-2 with a 1.35 ERA in 17 starts this season, compiling a WAR of 6.0 in the process. Elias might have found the ace he lost this past offseason when Corbin Burnes bolted for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The roster is packed with more young players looking to prove themselves. Henderson, Holliday, and Rogers are just the tip of the iceberg. Catchers Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo offer the Orioles two potential options at one of the game's most important positions. Outfielder Colton Cowser leads even more young guns that look to emerge from a deep farm system. Can Elias, and possibly Mansolino, get Baltimore back to the postseason in 2026? If so, then this season will be seen as just a blip on the road.
