Here's why the Orioles should trust their young core this season

The Baltimore Orioles opted to stick with their young core by only replacing the loss of Anthony Santander with Tyler O'Neill. After three seasons with the best farm system in baseball, the Orioles have had many prospects land among the ranks in Camden Yards. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson lead the way for the Orioles' youngsters into 2025. Both of them are among the best at their position and will be trusted with leading the locker room in their push for October.

The Orioles have developed a strong core moving forward, not only Henderson and Rutschman but also Colton Cowser, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, and Jordan Westburg, who was an All-Star for Baltimore last season. The pair are looking to retain their status amongst the regulars in the Orioles' lineup this season.

Despite a rough 2024, Jackson Holliday looks to join the 2025 squad and play a big role. The former first overall pick made his debut last season and while it was a rough stretch, at least one former Orioles' star expects a big jump from the infielder during the upcoming season. Holliday earned the top prospect in baseball status in 2024 for a reason. That reason is his talent level, skyrocketing through the ranks of Minor League Baseball before joining the Orioles in his second full professional season.

The Orioles have faith in their young core, and that's a good thing

Holliday, Westburg, Cowser and Heston Kjerstad are all pieces of the future in Baltimore. Trusting the young players and building a culture from within is the path forward for the Orioles, instead of bringing in big name free agents to log jam places for the quartet to play in the upcoming season as they begin the new era of Orioles baseball.

The Orioles opted to stand behind their young core, making supplemental signings to build roster depth while allowing for the young players to retain a bulk of their playing time. This allows the Orioles to have options in case any injuries were to arise without the issue of taking away trust from their young stars to get them to the promised land.

With even more reinforcements waiting in Norfolk, the Orioles endured many poor seasons building their farm system to what it has become. While they have lost the status as the best farm in the league, the Orioles' best years are just around the corner, as they look to open their championship window on the shoulders of their young core.