The Baltimore Orioles’ 2025 season will go down as one of the most dramatic collapses in recent baseball memory. After making the playoffs in back-to-back years (2023 and 2024) and entering the season as a legitimate World Series contender, the Orioles stumbled to a 74-84 finish and missed the postseason altogether. The sting is sharper because it marks the derailment of what was supposed to be a golden championship window for a talented young core.
A Season of Unfulfilled Expectations
The optimism surrounding Baltimore in the spring was well-founded. Coming off a 101-win AL East title in 2023 and another playoff run in 2024, most outlets projected the Orioles to win between 85–95 games. ESPN even boldly predicted a World Series appearance, calling their lineup “one of the best in baseball.” Instead, the 2025 campaign spiraled into what The Athletic’s Jayson Stark called “the most disappointing team of modern times.”
The downfall was swift. After a 3-2 start, the Orioles never climbed above .500. By May 24, they sat 16-34, already 18 games under, effectively burying their playoff chances. The disastrous stretch led to the firing of manager Brandon Hyde on May 18, with the club at 15-28.
The collapse hit harder because the roster was built on emerging young talent, not expensive free agents. As one NL executive noted, “Most disappointing teams spend heavily and just don’t mesh. This was worse, because we all thought their young hitters would keep getting better.”
The Pitching Staff’s Complete Breakdown
The offense drew the preseason headlines, but Baltimore’s undoing came from its pitching. After losing ace Corbin Burnes in free agency, the Orioles’ rotation proved incapable of filling the void.
The rotation posted a 5.48 ERA, worst in baseball, and their Stuff+ rating of 95 revealed deeper flaws in pitch quality. The season was further derailed by the absence of Grayson Rodriguez, sidelined all year with multiple injuries, and the late return of Kyle Bradish from Tommy John surgery in late August. Baltimore’s instability was glaring, as they used a record 70 players over the course of the season.
The bullpen offered little relief early on, though Felix Bautista’s comeback from Tommy John surgery was one of the lone bright spots. Even so, his return was short-lived as shoulder issues sidelined him again after just 35 appearances.
Offensive Regression Across the Board
The Orioles’ bats also failed to meet expectations. Adley Rutschman, a two-time All-Star centerpiece, endured his worst year yet. Limited to 85 games by recurring oblique injuries, he hit just .227 with nine homers and a .683 OPS. His steady decline from an .809 OPS in 2023 to .709 in 2024, and now .676 in 2025, left him ranking 42nd among catchers in OPS.
Ryan Mountcastle’s ground-ball tendencies dragged down his power, while the deeper left field fence at Camden Yards seemed to sap his confidence. Jordan Westburg’s season was marred by injuries, and even Gunnar Henderson, though still productive, couldn’t replicate his MVP-caliber 2024 numbers. Collectively, the offense fell far short of carrying a broken pitching staff.
From Contenders to Sellers
The Orioles’ fate was sealed by midsummer. At the trade deadline, GM Mike Elias shifted gears, trading nine big-league players—including fan favorites Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, and Ramón Laureano—for 15 prospects.
“We are sorry that 2025 has gone this way,” Elias told fans after the sell-off. “A lot had to go wrong, and it has. We’re addressing that.”
The decision was pragmatic, salvaging value from expiring contracts, but it underscored how far the Orioles had fallen from their preseason expectations.
The Orioles’ 2025 campaign is a sobering example of how fragile a championship window can be. With one of baseball’s most exciting young rosters, two straight playoff runs, and legitimate title ambitions, they looked ready to compete for years. Instead, injuries, pitching implosions, and lineup regressions combined to end their season with irrelevance by mid-September. For fans who had only recently escaped the long rebuild, the collapse wasn’t just disappointing—it was a bitter reminder that nothing in baseball is guaranteed.