The Baltimore Orioles are counting on a former highly-touted prospect to finally reach their expected level of excellence as a top-notch pitcher
The Baltimore Orioles have faced significant criticism for their handling of the starting rotation this offseason. Their 2024 ace, Corbin Burnes, entered free agency, and the team seemingly made little effort to retain him. Ultimately, he signed a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Even before Burnes’ departure, the Orioles made several moves to bolster their rotation, signing veteran Charlie Morton and international free agent Tomoyuki Sugano. Both are expected to bring experience and depth, filling mid-to-back-end roles alongside Dean Kremer. Meanwhile, Trevor Rogers, Albert Suarez, and Cade Povich will compete for a spot in the Opening Day rotation during spring training.
At the top of the rotation, Baltimore will rely on Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin. After being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at last year’s trade deadline, Eflin delivered strong performances, posting a 2.60 ERA over nine starts. However, some advanced metrics suggest he may have benefited from good fortune.
Rodriguez, a former top prospect, has the highest ceiling among the Orioles’ pitchers. Entering his age-25 season, he is seen as the team’s best chance at developing a true ace. In 2024, he showed notable improvement, finishing with a 3.86 ERA, a 3.66 FIP, and an impressive 3.61 strikeout-to-walk ratio. These advancements hint at a possible breakout campaign in 2025. After a rocky rookie season in 2023, he made strides across key metrics, improving his strikeout rate, walk rate, and hard-hit percentage.
For Baltimore, Rodriguez emerging as a frontline starter would be a game-changer, as they currently lack an elite ace to match up with top-tier pitchers in their division. The Yankees boast Gerrit Cole and Max Fried, while the Red Sox have Tanner Houck and Garrett Crochet.
