Orioles’ midseason grade proves their problems extend beyond pitching negligence

The Baltimore Orioles were supposed to contend. Projected by many to compete for the AL East crown, the team entered 2025 riding the momentum of back-to-back playoff seasons. Instead of building on that progress, the Orioles have completely unraveled. What was a trendy World Series pick has turned into one of baseball’s most puzzling disappointments.

The latest punch came courtesy of ESPN’s David Schoenfield, who handed out midseason report cards and didn’t mince words when it came to handing Baltimore a resounding F.

“The Orioles have a similar record to the Braves but have played much worse, including losses of 24-2, 19-5, 15-3 and two separate 9-0 shutouts,” Schoenfield wrote. “They will spend the trade deadline dealing away as many of their impending free agents as possible, and then do a lot of soul-searching heading into the offseason… Are some of their young players prospects or suspects?”

Baltimore Orioles flunk midseason report card amid growing identity crisis

It’s a scathing indictment — but it’s fair. Baltimore hasn’t just been underwhelming. They’ve been flat out embarrassing at times. Blowout losses. An ice cold lineup. Rollercoaster pitching. The team lacks an identity, and the urgency to fix it seems absent.

The offense, which was supposed to be the safety net for a pitching staff full of question marks, has simply vanished. The Orioles weren’t expected to have a dominant staff — no one was under that illusion. But the belief was that Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson would lead a dynamic young core that could bludgeon their way into contention. Instead, both cornerstones are having lackluster seasons, and the cavalry never arrived.

Young talent like Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo were supposed to be reinforcements — instead, they’ve served as reminders that the leap to the majors is anything but guaranteed. Kjerstad hasn’t been able to crack the Mendoza Line at Triple-A Norfolk since his demotion and hasn’t looked like a viable everyday player since his brief stint in the bigs last year. Mayo, despite flashing power in the minors, has posted a paltry .171/.242/.239 slash line through 42 major league games with just one home run to show for his efforts.

That’s not just underperformance — it’s brutal regression.

And regression doesn’t stop at the players. It extends to the front office, which still wears the label of being cheap and often aloof when it comes to retaining talent. Despite entering the season with expectations and one of the league’s most hyped young cores, Baltimore did little in the offseason to supplement the roster. Now, instead of looking to add a frontline starter at the deadline to boost a playoff push, they’re expected to flip veterans and reset.

The problem is, fans aren’t being patient anymore. After a taste of winning, Orioles faithful were ready for more — not a fire sale.

Schoenfield’s commentary may sting, but it reflects the reality most Orioles fans are already feeling. This isn’t a team just suffering from a few bad breaks. This is a team with foundational cracks. And unless something changes quickly, the 2025 Orioles will be remembered not as a team that fell short, but as a team that never really showed up.

More Orioles content from Birds Watcher