Baltimore Orioles' Four Biggest Surprises After Season's Brutal First Month

There have been a lot of surprises, some good and some bad, for the Baltimore Orioles through the first month of the season.

Apr 19, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins (31) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Things have not gone well for the Baltimore Orioles through the first month of the 2025 MLB regular season.

Their 11-18 record entering play on April 30 has them in the cellar of the American League East. There are only two teams, the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies, that have fewer victories to this point than the Orioles.

That is not the kind of start anyone was anticipating from a team many consider to be a World Series contender entering the campaign. At this point, they may not even be a wild card contender with the form they have shown.

A lot has contributed to the abysmal start for Baltimore. Here are four of the biggest surprises the team has had occur in the first month.

Cedric Mullins

Along with designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, the All-Star center fielder is the only true bright spot of the lineup out of the gate.

Mullins is leading the team with six home runs, 20 RBI and 185 OPS+. He has added five stolen bases and five doubles, producing a slash line of .283/.421/.533, which rank second, first and second on the team. O’Hearn is in first in the categories he is in second.

Set to hit free agency at the end of the season, he has put himself in a position to earn quite a payday if he can keep up near this pace.

If the Orioles cannot get on track, he is going to be a very popular name on the rumor mill ahead of the trade deadline.

Abysmal Starting Pitching

There was a lot of criticism handed out when it came to how Baltimore handled their starting rotation this winter. Losing Corbin Burnes was a huge blow. Not replacing him with an ace and then watching Max Fried and Garrett Crochet end up with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox was salt in the wound.

Expectations were low for the rotation coming into the year, but this group has found a way to still epically disappoint. The team has gotten everything it could have hoped for from Tomoyuki Sugano, but their other additions have been woeful.

Charlie Morton has a 9.45 ERA across 26.2 innings and has already been moved to the bullpen after five starts. Kyle Gibson made his debut and gave up four home runs in the first inning, and five total, against the Yankees en route to nine earned runs being charged in 3.2 innings.

Injuries haven’t helped with Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin and Albert Suarez joining Trevor Rogers, Tyler Wells, Chayce McDermott and Kyle Bradish, who were all hurt before the regular season, on the injured list.

Regression of Key Young Contributors

The pitching may have been suspect coming into the season, but everyone thought highly of the team’s lineup.

Catcher Adley Rutschman, shortstop Gunnar Henderson, second baseman Jackson Holliday, third baseman Jordan Westburg and outfielders Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad are as good a group of young players as any team in baseball has.

Unfortunately, they haven’t elevated their play and found their groove yet, resulting in what is the most surprising area of struggle through the first month.

Inconsistency at the plate plagued Baltimore down the stretch of 2024 and itis happening again in 2025.

Coby Mayo is Still Not Promoted

How the Orioles handled their top prospect in spring training was not thought of highly by some around baseball. Mayo has struggled at the Major League level in his stints, but he has accomplished everything he could in the minor leagues.

It is time he gets an extended look in the Big Leagues, especially with how much veteran first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is struggling thus far this season. He has an OPS+ of 51 with a .191/.240/.270 slash line.

Mayo isn’t tearing it up to the extent he has previously, but a .247/.348/.484 slash line with four home runs, six doubles, two triples and 18 RBI would look a lot better in the Baltimore lineup than most of the other stat lines being put up.