Early playoff exit doesn't define 2024 Orioles season

Here's something that feels like an unpopular opinion at the moment: the 2024 Baltimore Orioles had a great year. It wasn't perfect, and it certainly didn't end well, but overall this team was successful and there are a number of reasons why fans should be excited about 2025.

For one, Gunnar Henderson is a certified star. The young shortstop far surpassed expectations, even coming off a superb Rookie of the Year campaign in 2023. He finished 2024 with 8.0 fWAR and a .281/.364/.529 slash line, throwing in 37 homers and 21 steals. There's no guarantee that he'd be open to it but Henderson is a prime contract extension candidate and the Orioles should be doing everything they can to lock him up long-term.

The O's also got another breakout, this time from Jordan Westburg. The 25 year old unlocked his power potential and hit 18 homers in just 107 games, posting a .481 slugging percentage along the way. A broken hand aside, Westburg's future as a mainstay in Baltimore's infield seems certain.

There are several theories floating around about why Adley Rutschman's production fell off in the second half. It's fair to speculate about whether the incident in late June when he got hit by a foul ball did more damage than anyone thought at the time. Rutschman was exceptional through the end of June and there's little reason to think that with the full winter to rest and recover, he can't return to form in 2025.

The Orioles' future is as bright as ever, even after a difficult playoff loss

In addition to the previous group of young players, Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad proved that they belong in the Orioles' core moving forward. Jackson Holliday didn't quite get there but the experience gained in 2024 puts him in a great spot for 2025. And even behind them, the Orioles still have Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo, who both rank near the top of most expert prospect lists.

The pitching depth is there too. Zach Eflin will return in 2025, as will Grayson Rodriguez. Even without adding another pitcher in the mold of Corbin Burnes, the top of the rotation should be solid. When you consider that the O's will get Kyle Bradish back, hopefully around midseason, there's even reason to like the rotation.

The bullpen is a major area of need, and Elias will need to find a way to solidify the group around a returning Felix Bautista. But when you look at the core of returning players, both on the offensive side and on the pitching staff, the O's will retain much of the group that won 91 games this year, and 101 games the year prior.

This isn't to say that the Orioles shouldn't invest in the roster, or address specific areas that they absolutely need help in, like adding a veteran hitter or another right-handed power bat to the lineup. But there are paths to do so, in free agency and the trade market, that are realistic options. The Orioles have an excellent core, they just need to fill in the gaps around them.

Some reporters have suggested that the Orioles' honeymoon phase is over, but defining MLB teams based solely on their success in the postseason is reductive, especially since the league has designed the playoffs to prevent the best teams from winning. The Orioles' honeymoon phase might be coming to a close, but this team is just getting started.