Mike Elias admits 'concerning' aspect of Orioles stars' regression

Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias got blunt about the underperformance of several young stars.

Dec 10, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Baltimore Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias talks on the set of MLB Network at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

It's no secret that most of the Baltimore Orioles top offensive players didn't have the 2025 seasons they were hoping for.

Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, and Ryan Mountcastle all had a worse OPS in the 2025 season than they did just one year ago. It's staggering for every one of these guys to see their stats diminish, especially because Baltimore expected to depend upon these players in replicating the success they had in the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.

Read more: Mike Elias reveals 'attractive feature' for next Orioles manager

It's also no secret that these players are going to need to right the ship if this team is to reach its potential in 2026, and the front office is extremely aware of that.

Sep 28, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg (11) is greeted at home plate by shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Mike Elias Sends Strong Message About Regression of Top Orioles Players

Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias didn't mince words about his best players not performing up to their standards during his exit interview earlier this week, which was included in an October 5 article from Roch Kubatko of MASN.

"When you have a season that misses the mark by this much, there’s a lot on the list of what went wrong, but certainly that was amongst the most, I don’t know if I want to say 'surprising,' but kind of fundamental, that a lot of our core drafted players that have formed the spine of not only this winning team the last few years, but the rebuild leading into it," Elias said.

"Most of them were hurt or had down years or stagnating in some form or fashion, and it’s definitely concerning to watch it happen and concerning to watch it happen to a lot of them simultaneously. That was a big factor in our record," he added.

.@masnRoch breaks down the O’s need for a veteran hitter in 2026. https://t.co/VRK6iZ6B3G

— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) October 5, 2025

"We have talked a lot with them individually about it. I think all of us in the org, there’s a lot of soul searching and looking in the mirror individually: What could each of us have done better to get a better result for the team? And that definitely applies to those guys. We’ve talked about it. We’re formulating plans. And we’re going to do everything that we can to kind of have them bounce back and get back on track.

"Very, very, very confident that that’s going to happen with this group, and it’s obviously a huge factor for the team next year. But the talent in those guys and the work ethic and the mindset all points to optimism," Elias concluded.

Optimism is one thing. But if the Orioles' young stars don't turn this optimism into production by the end of next year, some major changes could be coming.