The Baltimore Orioles’ pitching has been one of the worst in MLB to start the 2025 season, and it’s one of the key reasons for their 9-12 start. It only got worse this past Sunday when Baltimore faced the Cincinnati Reds and lost by a final score of 24-2.
It’s not the first time in MLB history the Orioles have been on the wrong end of a blowout like that. They also lost 30-3 to the Texas Rangers on Aug. 22, 2007. But with another lopsided loss now in the books, just how bad has Baltimore’s pitching been in 2025?
Baltimore Orioles Rotation Has Been One of the Worst Historically in MLB
The Orioles’ pitching problems were on full display during the embarrassing 24-2 loss to the Reds. Charlie Morton had another rough outing. He pitched just 2.1 innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs. He walked four and struck out two, while giving up a home run. Obviously, the bullpen didn’t fare any better once Morton exited.
Andy Kostka, an Orioles reporter for the Baltimore Banner, posted on X after the game.
“According to FanGraphs, the Orioles’ rotation ERA- is 161 (lower is better). That means their rotation ERA is 61% worse than league average. That’s the worst ERA- in the modern era of baseball (since 1900). Only 21 games in, of course.”
Orioles general manager Mike Elias didn’t make significant moves during the offseason to improve the rotation. Instead, he let starter Corbin Burnes walk in free agency, where he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Meanwhile, to start the 2025 season, Morton is 0-5 with a 10.89 ERA. In five starts, he’s pitched 20.2 innings and given up 31 hits and 25 runs. He’s also walked 15 batters and struck out 21, while currently holding a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) is 2.22.
At 41 years old, Morton may not have much left in the tank. He’s set to be a free agent after the season and likely won’t return.
After the game, Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde didn’t hold back when speaking to the media. He said, “Unfortunately, it’s embarrassing. It’s not what you want to do on Easter Sunday in front of your home crowd. You want to compete.”
Baltimore has a day off on Monday before starting a three-game road series against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. The projected rotation: Dean Kremer (2-2, 6.41 ERA) on Tuesday, Tomoyuki Sugano (2-1, 3.43 ERA) on Wednesday, and Cade Povich (0-2, 6.38 ERA) on Thursday.
It’s been a tough stretch for the Orioles’ rotation in 2025, and injuries to other starters have only made things worse.