We are officially 61 games into the Baltimore Orioles season, and there are definitely a lot more questions than answers at this time.
The Orioles slowly walked out of the gate and, before long, found themselves in the AL East cellar and Wild Card standings by double digits.
While injuries have plagued the Birds, a changing of the guard occurred when long-time manager Brandon Hyde was relieved of his duties, and Tony Mansolino was elevated to interim manager.
Under the guidance of Mansolino, the Orioles have gone 10-8, just completed back-to-back sweeps, are hitting .249 as a team, with a .695 OPS, and are scoring 4.7 runs per game. The pitching staff has a respectable 4.63 ERA during that time frame as well.
Is it time to start believing in Orioles Magic again? Only time will tell, as there are still over 100 games left of baseball to play.
In the meantime, let’s see what questions are on the minds of Birdland and provide some answers and insight in our latest edition of Battery Q&A.
How many games out of a postseason spot would you consider “still in it” to not be sellers at the trade deadline? – @bpinter88 via X
This is a tough one to answer for two reasons.
The first is, do you break up this team and retool for next season and beyond, or do you keep them together and bring in a veteran manager to turn things around?
The second reason is that under GM Mike Elias, not one player has received an extension with the Orioles.
Those two factors go hand-in-hand on how and when the trade deadline should be approached.
Realistically, if you’re 10 or more games out at the deadline, I would consider moving any upcoming free agents who are not going to be retained and/or start extending players for the following season.
Do you think the Orioles will re-sign Tomoyuki Sugano? – Dan MacIver via Facebook
First off, let’s start by saying this was the best signing of the offseason at this point.
Assistant to GM Mike Elias, Adam Jones, did have a hand in Tomoyuki Sugano being given an opportunity with the Orioles, and that will be a big factor.
If the O’s are able to still have a realistic chance at being in the Wild Card hunt, Sugano will stay with the team with a high possibility of re-signing in the offseason.
If the Birds find themselves 10 or more games out of the Wild Card, I can see Sugano being traded to a contender. The Los Angeles Dodgers would come to mind because of other former Nippon League players making up a good portion of their team and their overall need for starting pitching.
The main thing with players adjusting to major league life is finding a comfort that allows them to relax and perform to their abilities. That plays a big factor in how the Sugano situation will be approached and handled.
If The Baltimore Battery had to pick only one Oriole to extend in the offseason, who would it be and why? – @Orioletimenow via X
There are so many choices, but only one stands out, and that is Gunnar Henderson.
The reason this is the most sensible is not solely due to his superstar status but to the fact that this is only Henderson’s age 24 season, and he has already established himself as one of the best players in the game.
A Rookie of the Year honor, a Silver Slugger and an All-Star selection are just a few of the early accolades that Henderson has already achieved in his young career.
He has started to heat up this season. As have the Orioles, which shows how much Henderson means to the offense and the team as a whole.
Each season that passes will bring Henderson closer to a 10-figure payday and make it harder for the Birds to keep him long-term. This is the optimal time to extend an offer to Henderson and try to keep him an Oriole for life.
Who should be the next manager of the O’s? – Matt Brown via Facebook
While there are surprisingly more options out there than people realize, there are maybe only a handful that should be considered for the opportunity to manage the Orioles.
With a strong core and a strong minor league system, the Orioles have the ability to be a competitive team for years to come. However, one of the missing pieces is a seasoned veteran manager who has postseason and World Series experience.
While I have seen many people pine for a return of Buck Showalter or for Matt Holliday to be given an opportunity, names such as Carlos Beltrán, Ryan Flaherty and David Ross have also been mentioned as possibilities.
While all would be strong candidates and even a couple as splashy moves, I think the best possibility for not only leading but helping the club grow and become an annual contender would be former Miami Marlins Manager of the Year, Skip Schumaker.
Schumaker won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals as a player and was a coach with both the Cards and San Diego Padres. He is currently a senior advisor with the Texas Rangers.
He managed the Marlins during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, compiling a 146-178 record while leading the Marlins to the postseason in 2023. He stepped away as manager for personal reasons at the end of the 2024 season.
A manager who has postseason experience would be able to create a bond with players but also instill values and teachings that helped lead teams to and through October.
Do you think the Orioles get to the World Series before Gunnar Henderson reaches free agency? ~ @OsAcrossThePond via X
This is an interesting thought but a very strong possibility. This might go hand-in-hand with if they can get Henderson to sign an extension before he hits free agency.
Henderson, who turns 24 on June 29, begins the first of three years of arbitration this offseason. The Orioles would more than love to buy those years out, but with Scott Boras being Henderson’s agent, that might prove a little difficult.
Depending who the Orioles bring on to manage, the status of GM Mike Elias after this season and who the Birds add through trades or free agency, I think there is a strong possibility that the Birds not only reach a World Series but win one before free agency would arrive for Henderson.
If Elias sticks to his world of having a team be competitive for the next decade, then reaching the World Series and winning one seems like a strong possibility, especially with the young talent that is surrounding Henderson at this time.
What do you all think has been the changes made in the current six-game winning streak that has helped improve play? – @Cowboy69420 via X
While many think that the managerial change has a big part in the improved play, it hasn’t played as big a role as believed. Honestly, I think it is actually two different things that have made the difference.
The first is health. The Orioles were decimated with injuries leading into and through the first few weeks of the season. Players are starting to get healthy and are able to perform to their abilities because of that.
The other big change has to do with players having definitive roles with the team. Some players are depth pieces, some rotational pieces and others everyday players.
You can see Jackson Holliday getting more and more comfortable by playing daily and also leading off in the lineup. The same can be said for Ryan O’Hearn, who is having an early All-Star campaign.
Between health and defined roles, the team has developed its swagger, and you can see the confidence returning because of these two things.
Once Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg are back and Tyler O’Neill, Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins return, this team could be one of the most dangerous teams in the league going forward.
Why can’t the O’s score runs? The recent victories are fantastic, and I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but this trend is a year old now. What were the old O’s doing from an approach standpoint that the current O’s aren’t? – @WutRUdoinhere via X
The season, as a whole, has seen the Orioles struggle to score runs, and a big part of that is the ability to capitalize with runners on base and in scoring position.
Last season, the Orioles were actually in the middle of the pack, slashing .256/.334/.393/.726 with RISP, while in 2025, they are at the bottom, hitting just .210/.274/.352/.626 with RISP.
Looking at the stats, it’s easy to see the issue is taking advantage of opportunities, but I also believe that the new hitting coaches’ approach has affected the success of last season.
With the recent hiring of John Mabry, we will see these stats improve and the offense take off. Under Mansolino, the O’s offense is scoring 4.7 runs a game, which is a large improvement from the beginning of the season.
That wraps up another edition of Battery Q&A. We received a lot of questions this round, so we picked some of the more interesting ones to respond and provide insight to.
Be sure to keep checking for the next edition of Battery Q&A to see if your question makes the cut.
Do you agree or disagree with our answers? What are your thoughts on these questions? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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