Spring training has ended, and Opening Day is just two short days away. With the excitement of the season upon us, it’s time for some hot takes.
With the regular season getting ready to start, The Baltimore Battery has gathered together to come up with 10 hot takes for the 2025 Orioles season. The takes in this year’s piece are going from a little burn to scorching.
After some back and forth debating, we are unveiling our top 10. So, let’s jump in and see what our hot takes are for the season.
DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE HOT TAKES, MEANING SOME COULD LOOK DRASTIC OR DOWNRIGHT CRAZY… THAT’S THE POINT.
With that being said, let’s get spicy.
10.) Jorge Mateo plays more outfield than infield
We start with somewhat of a position change for current Orioles utility man and speedster, Jorge Mateo.
With how stacked the infield is for the Orioles, getting Mateo consistent reps will be difficult. So, despite him having played 39 total games in the outfield in five years between the San Diego Padres and Orioles, don’t be too surprised if Mateo plays more outfield positions, especially against left-handed pitching.
9.) Tyler O’Neill leads the Birds with 40 home runs
It’s crazy that the smallest stadium changes have an impact on free agents signing with your team, and that might be a case for Tyler O’Neill to break out this season.
O’Neill had just posted his second season with 30+ home runs in 2024 with the Boston Red Sox, so predicting 40 homers this year is a little out there, especially with the 29-year-old playing more than 100 games just twice in his career. However, with Waltimore moving back in a bit and O’Neill being an everyday starter, it’s looking very possible.
8.) Cade Povich compiles a sub-3.00 ERA this season
Cade Povich, or “Slim” as we like to refer him, is coming off a 5.20 ERA during the 2024 season. So, where did we get a sub-3.00 ERA?
It’s from the fact that Povich, in his final five starts, posted a 2.60 ERA in 27.2 innings of work and also looked really good during spring training, which helps his case. Povich is on huge breakout alert for the 2025 season, so a sub-3.00 ERA looks possible for the crafty lefty.
7.) Jordan Westburg has a 30/30 season
It might seem crazy to think that Jordan Westburg could go 30/30, until you realize that he used to be a frequent base-stealer. In 2021, while in the minors, Westburg stole 17 bases in 112 games, and we know he has the power potential to hit 30 home runs in a season.
The ultimate question is if he can steal 30 bases. Westburg only stole in nine attempts last year, nabbing six bags. Imagine what he could do if he stole 40 times a year in a fully healthy season.
6.) Zach Eflin compiles the lowest ERA in the AL
The lowest season ERA for Zach Eflin was in 2023 when he posted a 3.50 ERA in 31 starts, which placed him eighth in the AL. It was also just the second time since the O’s Opening Day starter debuted that he had an ERA below four.
In nine games with the Orioles, Eflin pitched to a 2.60 ERA, which would have placed him solely in second behind Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. Eflin having the lowest ERA in the AL is very doable, yet it is also difficult with all of the talent in the AL in the pitching department.
5.) Tomoyuki Sugano wins AL ROTY and earns Cy Young votes
The 2025 rookie class for the AL is intriguing, with the current favorites for Rookie of the Year being New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez, Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe and infielder Kristian Campbell of the Boston Red Sox. Orioles Japanese starter Tomoyuki Sugano is being somewhat overlooked, most likely because of him being 35 years of age.
A career 2.45 ERA in Japan in 281 total games is no joke, and we have seen the talent that the Nippon League has brought to MLB in recent years. If Sugano pitches like he has in spring and in his past, he will be looked at as a Cy Young underdog and get heavy looks for AL Rookie of the Year.
4.) Jackson Holliday earns Most Valuable Oriole
After what seemed like a really bad start to a major league career, we finally saw a glimpse of how truly talented Jackson Holliday is. The kid’s spring training was extremely eye-opening, as he posted a .865 OPS in 15 games and showed off his plus speed, stealing five bases.
Holliday is going to get his first look at big league Opening Day and the beginning of a season when he isn’t completely thrown into a situation way too quickly. Holliday isn’t a huge early favorite for MVO, but if he has a good enough season, he could really have an argument over the other stars of this team.
3.) Samuel Basallo makes his big league debut prior to the All-Star Break
Samuel Basallo is in a very interesting situation. On one hand, the kid is just 20 years old, and after how he looked this spring, there is an argument that he is already MLB ready. On the other hand, the catcher, first base and designated hitter positions are currently locked up for a while for the Birds.
Basallo making his debut before the All-Star Break is not impossible, but it is something to look forward to if certain situations occur, especially in an injury pops up.
2.) Adley Rutschman transitions to first base
When our staff discussed the takes for this article, this was one that I was very keen on having because it would be a phenomenal decision for the O’s. You move Adley Rutschman to first base, which gives room for Basallo to have his natural position and is less taxing on the body of Rutschman, and you have two high-contact bats in your lineup that can alternate positions if needed.
The likelihood of this happening is low, however, because the Birds still have Ryan Mountcastle, who is looking for a huge season with the wall moving forward.
1.) Félix Bautista records 30 saves
If you told any O’s fan in 2023 that this was a hot take for 2025, they would have thought you were crazy. However, things changed, and while Félix Bautista tallied 33 saves by August 26 of 2023, Tommy John Surgery is not easy to come back from quickly and efficiently.
There is a heavy chance that the Orioles don’t have a definite closer to start the 2025 season and that it all depends on match-ups, which means that we won’t always get mountain time in the ninth inning of a close game. If the coaching staff spaces his outings just right, there’s a chance O’s fans could hear Omar’s whistle 30 times this season.
There is a lot to unpack, but there are some interesting takes that could bring a fun twist to the team this year. While these are hot takes, this is what we believe are closer to the realm of possibility than not.
What do you think of our hot takes? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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