We are two months into the Major League Baseball season, and the Baltimore Orioles find themselves at 26-31 and in fourth place in the American League East.
With the calendar about to turn to June, it feels like the right time to evaluate where this team stands. From the offense to the bullpen, we are handing out grades for every aspect of the roster and assessing how the Orioles have performed through the first third of the season.
If you have followed our coverage on social media, read our articles or listened to our podcast, The Final Strike, you know we try to approach this team honestly and without bias. So, let’s break down the Orioles’ season so far.
OFFENSE: D–
For most of the season, the Orioles’ offense has been wildly inconsistent.
Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward were expected to bring much-needed power to the lineup, Tyler O’Neill was supposed to return to form after injuries and Gunnar Henderson was expected to reestablish himself as one of baseball’s premier stars. None of those developments materialized consistently through the first seven weeks.
Colton Cowser has struggled until recently, Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday have both missed time with injuries and the Orioles rank near the bottom of the league in batting average with runners in scoring position while also piling up strikeouts.
The offense has shown signs of life recently, with the club playing looser and with more confidence over the last week. But one strong stretch does not erase nearly two months of inconsistency. Sustained production will be needed before this grade improves.
DEFENSE: F
Defense has become one of the Orioles’ biggest disappointments this season.
The club has committed 31 errors, posted a .984 fielding percentage, and ranks near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency, defensive runs saved and defensive WAR.
The lack of clean defense has consistently hurt the Birds in key moments and has played a major role in the team remaining below .500.
Simply put, this has not looked like the fundamentally sound defensive team fans in Birdland have grown accustomed to watching over the past few seasons.
STARTING PITCHING: INCOMPLETE
The rotation is difficult to evaluate because injuries and recoveries have constantly reshaped the group.
Kyle Bradish has built off his return from Tommy John surgery, Shane Baz has continued working his way back into form and Dean Kremer has missed significant time, landing on the injured list. Cade Povich and Brandon Young were forced into larger roles to help stabilize the rotation, with the former going on the IL as well.
Trevor Rogers has struggled after a promising start to the season, but Bradish has delivered four quality starts in his last six outings, while Baz and Chris Bassitt have both shown improvement recently.
One of the biggest surprises has been Young, who has taken a noticeable step forward and developed into a dependable back-end starter while filling in for Kremer.
If a grade had to be assigned today, it would likely land around a D+, but the rotation has looked significantly better over the past month than it did early in the season.
BULLPEN: D+
What began as one of the team’s strengths has quickly become one of its biggest concerns, as late leads no longer feel secure.
Keegan Akin has been inconsistent since returning from the IL. Anthony Nunez has alternated between dominant and shaky appearances, and Tyler Wells has started to settle down after an ugly start.
Rico Garcia has also fluctuated between strong stretches and shaky outings. Ryan Helsley was consistent as the closer until landing on the IL due to right forearm discomfort.
At the moment, the bullpen feels unpredictable from night to night, and the recent DFA’s of Dietrich Enns and Albert Suárez and the possible loss of Yennier Cano only added more questions.
MANAGING: C–
We will give Craig Albernaz some grace because this is his first season as a big-league manager, but the growing pains have been noticeable.
Injuries have certainly impacted the roster, but one of the team’s biggest issues early in the season was a lack of urgency and leadership when adversity hit. Over the last week, however, the Orioles have looked noticeably looser and more energized, playing the style of baseball Birdland became accustomed to over recent seasons.
Albernaz appeared overly patient early in the year while still trying to learn the roster and establish his identity as a manager. Had this been a veteran skipper, the criticism would likely be far harsher. As a rookie manager, though, Albernaz has earned some benefit of the doubt.
OVERALL TEAM GRADE: D
Expectations entering the season were far higher than what the Orioles have delivered so far, but the team has not completely buried itself in the standings.
Baltimore is 19-5 when scoring at least five runs and has improved to 5-9 in one-run games after winning four of its last six contests. There have been encouraging stretches recently, but there have also been ugly losses, including multiple double-digit defeats against AL East opponents.
The good news is there are still four months left in the season and plenty of time to turn things around. But if the Orioles want to seriously re-enter the postseason conversation, the progress shown over the last week must become the norm rather than the exception.
What are your thoughts on the Orioles as the first third of the season comes to a conclusion? 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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