Orioles' current season outlook boils down to 4 words

This is the big question Baltimore Orioles fans must be thinking right now.

Aug 1, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) gestures after hitting a double against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

There's no way to sugarcoat the fact that the Baltimore Orioles' 2025 season has been a major disappointment.

Given that this team won a combined 192 regular season games over the previous two years, the fact that they're 53-65 and dead last in the AL East standings heading into their August 12 game against the Seattle Mariners is fair cause for a lot of frustration. Not to mention that this team has a ton of young, talented players, many of whom have underperformed to this point.

Heading into the 2025 campaign, few teams could claim they had a brighter future than Baltimore. And while every club is bound for a cursed season every once in a while, 2025 has raised some concerning questions about whether this year was an unfortunate blip that won't be repeated or a sign of things to come for this franchise.

Jun 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Balitimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) flips his bat after striking out during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Baltimore Orioles Fans' Biggest Question Amid Unsettling 2025 Season

These questions seem to be the basis of the Orioles' section in an August 12 article from Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report that listed, "Every MLB Fanbase's Current Mood in 1 Sentence".

For Baltimore, this mood was, "Have we been duped?"

Expanding on this sentiment, Rymer wrote, "The Orioles have actually played good baseball for the better part of the last three months, but even they officially deemed it too little, too late at the trade deadline. It's all about the future now.

"Following a 101-win season in 2023 and the arrival of new owner David Rubenstein last year, the future was supposed to be now. And especially given how badly Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday have stalled in 2025, there's even a question of what can be salvaged from this year," he continued.

Orioes fans this is a safe space!!!

How do you feel about the Baltimore Orioles currently and the direction this franchise is heading? pic.twitter.com/7rMj8k30K0

— 𝙆am Brice (@kambrice1tv) August 10, 2025

If there's any silver lining to be taken from this year, it's that Gunnar Henderson is still a superstar, both Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday are bound to produce better seasons next year, and there will be free agents available this offseason who can help the Orioles fill roster holes and address weaknesses.

Read more: Baltimore Orioles called a trade fit for Pirates starter

It likely won't be until after the 2026 season that fans can get an accurate gauge on where this franchise stands. But considering that Baltimore still hasn't won a playoff game since the 2014 season, fans are beginning to get impatient when thinking about what this team is supposed to be doing, rather than what it has done.