The Orioles made the playoffs in 2024, had high expectations in 2025 only to crash and burn with a losing record. That sounds a bit familiar. They’re off to a decent start this year, but have dropped five of six recently, including three of four on this road trip.
Baltimore Orioles (10-12) vs. Kansas City Royals (7-15) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Orioles: 4.14 runs scored/game (19th in MLB), 4.45 runs allowed/game (15th)
Royals: 3.23 runs scored/game (30th), 4.68 runs allowed/game (22nd)
The Orioles have the 11th-best walk rate, but the second-highest strikeout rate. As a team, they are are hitting just .201/.295/.316 on the road this year. Baltimore paid a steep price to acquire Taylor Ward, but it has paid off as he leads the league with 11 doubles. Gunnar Henderson is a .299/.360/.478 hitter in 18 career games against the Royals. Big free agent signing Pete Alonso has just two home runs in 23 games. He has never hit fewer than four home runs in a month in which he has played at least 20 games.
Samuel Basallo signed an eight-year, $67 million deal in his first week in the big leagues, but has only hit .157 in 47 MLB games. Baltimore signed Leody Taveras and Jeremiah Jackson off the scrap heap, and both have performed early in the season. The Orioles are missing Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Tyler O’Neill, Jordan Westburg, Heston Kjerstad, and Ryan Mountcastle to injury.
Kyle Bradish has appeared in just 14 games over 2024-25, after having Tommy John surgery. His 94 mph fastball has been very hittable – opponents are hitting .583 against it this year. But he does not throw it much, instead relying on a sinker, slider, and curve.
Shane Baz has also had an injury-filled past, but made a career-high 31 starts for Tampa Bay before they traded him to the Orioles this past off-season. He signed a five-year, $68 million deal with Baltimore, but is still looking for his first win of the year. Last year he struggled in Tampa Bay’s minor league park, but did much better with a 3.86 ERA in 15 road starts.
Chris Bassitt pitched in the World Series last year for the Blue Jays, posting a 3.92 ERA in 170.1 innings in the regular season. He signed with Baltimore in the offseason and has had mixed results, but tossed five shutout innings in his last start against the Guardians. He has a sinker in heavy rotation, generating a 46 percent groundball rate last year.
Ryan Helsley was disastrous at the end of last season with the Mets, but has resurrected his career with the Orioles, going 6-for-6 in save opportunities so far. The Orioles rely on a bullpen full of young, unproven no-namers, but they are getting results. They have the lowest rate of inherited runners to score in baseball at just 13 percent, and their 3.57 bullpen ERA is tenth in baseball.
The Royals need a win badly, but even a banged-up Orioles squad will prove to be a challenge. It is still April, but it’s getting late early. The Royals need a successful homestand to right the ship, and they need to start winning now.