The Orioles keep finding themselves in the same spot under Mike Elias: behind the pack, trying to dig out of a hole, and looking up at the rest of the American League East when the season reaches the All-Star break.
That has been the story more often than not since Elias took over in 2019, and this year fits the pattern again. Through 95 games - the rough neighborhood where the break usually lands - Baltimore is sitting on a 334-391 record under Elias, seventh-worst in baseball over that span. The Orioles have only been above .500 at that point twice in his tenure, in 2023 and 2024.
Even those better starts didn’t change the bigger picture. Baltimore was already sliding by mid-July in 2024, and the trade deadline that followed did nothing to rescue the season.
The broader history is even harsher. The Orioles have had 19 seasons since moving from St.
Louis to Baltimore in 1954 in which they were at 43 wins or fewer after 95 games, including this one. Five of those seasons have come in Elias’s eight years running the show.
And in six of those eight seasons, Baltimore was in last place in the AL East at the 95-game mark. That includes this year, with the Orioles now a half-game out of last. None of those teams finished with more than 78 wins.
That’s the part that keeps repeating: the slow start, the chase, the late-summer scramble that never quite becomes a turnaround. Elias’s clubs have too often lacked the depth, balance, and overall quality to make up ground once they fall behind.
This year has its own fresh problem, too. Blaze Alexander, who has been Baltimore’s best player since April 28, is now out indefinitely with a broken hand.
So even if the calendar says the season is moving forward, the Orioles’ rebuild still feels unfinished.
In Other News...
Orioles Make Troubling Pitching Move As Keegan Akin Situation Deepens
The Orioles added another arm to the organization on Monday, acquiring right-hander Cam Sanders from the Pirates for cash considerations and sending him to Triple-A Norfolk. Sanders had been designated for assignment by Pittsburgh, and Baltimore is giving itself a little extra depth in the system at a time when the pitching staff is getting stretched.
The more pressing issue is Keegan Akin, who was moved to the 60-day injured list because of an elbow injury. He is scheduled for a medical evaluation that will help determine the next step, and for an Orioles club already trying to manage its pitching depth, the situation adds another layer of uncertainty to a bullpen that could use some stability. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Writer Just Put A Stunning Timeline On Samuel Basallo
Samuel Basallo has given the Orioles plenty to dream on already, and the appeal is obvious every time the 21-year-old catcher gets into one of his power swings. He has 16 home runs in 301 plate appearances, and his advanced power numbers back up what the eye test says: when he connects, the ball leaves in a hurry. Basallo has also talked openly about wanting to become an All-Star someday, which fits the way the organization has started to view him as more than just a promising bat.
The next step is less about raw talent than about the everyday grind that comes with becoming a lineup fixture. Basallo is still working through pitch selection and the defensive side of the position, but the trust around him is growing as he keeps showing he can handle bigger moments. Baltimore does not need to decide his ceiling right now, only whether his recent surge is the start of something much larger, and that is where the intrigue really begins. [Read more 🡒]