The Baltimore Orioles have turned their fortunes around over the past two seasons; they ended the previous decade by hitting rock bottom, destroying the team so they could rebuild from scratch, and in 2023, they emerged as a powerhouse in the AL East. However, the past two seasons have borne little in the way of playoff success. In fact, the Orioles have failed to win a playoff game in five tries, with their latest postseason failure coming at the hands of the Kansas City Royals.

Make no mistake about it, the Orioles look poised for success in the coming years still despite being swept in two straight playoff series. They have plenty of young, up-and-coming talent in the pipeline, with many of those players already making waves for Baltimore's major-league roster. But pundits believe that the Orioles have to be more proactive in building on their young core, as their wide-open World Series window is not something to take for granted, as it can slam shut in an instant.

“Never has an offseason felt more critical. Never has there been a time to aggressively chase upgrades and not waste another year of a young, controllable, cheap core. Windows change. Injuries happen; players age. The Orioles don’t even have to leave the division for proof of how quickly things can turn sour. Just look at the Toronto Blue Jays,” Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic wrote.

The Orioles clearly have the talent, but they have wilted under the pressure in two consecutive postseasons now. Believing in the youth is a tested and proven formula for success, but some veteran reinforcements could have gone a long way in preparing Baltimore for the big time. Instead, a long and difficult offseason awaits as the pressure to capitalize on this golden age of talented youngsters mounts on the franchise.

Orioles may have to consolidate talent this offseason

The Orioles remain in an enviable position heading into next year despite getting swept for the second consecutive year; they have Jackson Holliday waiting in the wings, as despite enduring a rough cup of coffee in the big leagues, his track record of success in the minors suggests that he'll be a much better player in his age-21 season.

The same goes for Coby Mayo; despite struggling in his brief stint in the majors, he will be coming in to make a crowded Orioles infield picture even more congested. But perhaps this opens up the opportunity for the Orioles to trade one of their blue-chip prospects to acquire a long-term replacement for Corbin Burnes.

Burnes was the Orioles' major 2024 offseason acquisition, and he was as good as advertised, but he will be entering free agency and will be costing the team a pretty penny. It's not quite clear just how willing the Orioles front office is to splash the cash, but there's no better time for them to do so than the present especially considering how important Burnes was to the team this past season.

But at the end of the day, the Orioles' stars simply have to be better. The Royals bewildered Baltimore's hitters in the two Wild Card games they played, with Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson swinging at the air more often than not. Some things are best learned the hard way, and the Orioles better take these lessons to heart.