Baltimore Sun Orioles reporter Jacob Calvin Meyer will answer fan questions every Friday during baseball season. Here are JCM’s thoughts on several questions from readers:
(Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity. Email jameyer@baltsun.com with questions for next Friday’s mailbag.)
Are there silver linings to the Orioles’ failed 2025 campaign? Has this been a tale of two seasons? — Tommy M. from Louisville
A tale of two seasons might be a step too far. The Orioles have played OK since firing Brandon Hyde, but there have been a lot of the same concerns that caused the mediocre end to the 2024 campaign and the disastrous start to this one.
Injuries are still hampering this team. The rotation still has question marks. The bullpen is a bigger concern. And several members of the young core are still struggling.
The Orioles are 45-46 (.495) under interim manager Tony Mansolino. Over the final 91 games of last season, they were 44-47. Since the start of 2024, the Orioles are 151-145 (.510).
However, there are silver linings. The biggest one appears to be with the Orioles’ rotation. Since the Trevor Rogers Game on May 24, the Orioles’ rotation has ranked ninth in baseball in FanGraphs’ wins above replacement and 13th in ERA. Those aren’t amazing numbers, but they’re fantastic compared with the debilitating performance from the rotation over the season’s first two months.
With Rogers and the now-healthy Kyle Bradish, the Orioles have the opportunity to build a dominant rotation for 2026 if the front office is aggressive this winter in acquiring several quality starting pitchers. If that happens, perhaps there will be no need to search for silver linings.
Why haven’t the Orioles tried Ryan Mountcastle in the outfield this season? — Laverne P.
The short answer here is that they’ve already tried this, and he wasn’t good out there.
Mountcastle was drafted as a shortstop, moved to third base then earned playing time in the Orioles’ outfield in 2020 and 2021 before finding a home at first base. In those two seasons, Mountcastle rated as one of the worst defensive outfielders in baseball (minus-5 defensive runs saved and minus-6 outs above average). His success rate, according to Statcast, was the worst among outfielders with at least 25 opportunities.
The success story with Mountcastle is that in the span of just a few years, he became a plus defender at first base — a much more difficult position than most assume. He’s been a Gold Glove Award finalist in each of the past two seasons, but he won’t earn that distinction again this season after missing time with injury.
The Orioles haven’t been playing Mountcastle at first base as much recently — instead having Coby Mayo learn to play the position — because Mountcastle’s future in the organization is murky. Entering his final year of arbitration, Mountcastle is in line for a pay raise up to about $8 million for 2026. Given his injury history and his struggles at the plate this season (.643 OPS), the Orioles have to decide if Mountcastle fits in their plans for 2026.
With the Orioles extending Samuel Basallo, does that mean Adley Rutschman is on his way out? Does Rutschman have a future in the organization? — Len A.
This isn’t a criticism of Len, who is asking a legitimate question that many fans have. But a large percentage of the discourse surrounding Rutschman is strange.
Why does everything have to be a referendum on Rutschman?
The Orioles in July drafted catchers with their first two picks. Some people spun that into their belief that the organization lacks faith in Rutschman. The Orioles in August signed Basallo to a long-term contract extension. Some people assumed that meant the Orioles aren’t interested in keeping Rutschman in Baltimore long term.
This seems to be a causation versus correlation issue. It is possible that the Orioles’ future valuation of Rutschman has changed over the past year. It is also possible the Orioles don’t envision giving Rutschman a nine-figure contract once he hits free agency. But neither the club’s draft strategy nor Basallo’s extension is proof of either of those things being true.
Basallo’s extension was a monumental day for an organization that hadn’t signed a member of its core to such a deal since Adam Jones in 2012. But Basallo, who it’s worth noting doesn’t profile as a No. 1 catcher long term, was already under team control through 2031. The contract indicates the organization’s belief in Basallo, but it only extends his time in Baltimore by two or three years. Rutschman, meanwhile, is a free agent after the 2027 season. Keeping Basallo in Baltimore in 2032 and 2033 — Rutschman’s age 34 and 35 seasons — shouldn’t alter what Rutschman’s future in the organization is.
There’s actually an argument that the commitment to Basallo as a catcher is a good thing for Rutschman. The most important thing for him is to remain healthy and get back on track offensively (like he did before his oblique strains). What can help him do that? A three-catcher system with Basallo as the No. 2, lessening Rutschman’s burden defensively, which could boost his production at the plate and help keep him healthy.
Should the Orioles take Jackson Holliday out of the leadoff spot? — Tyler from Hanover, Pennsylvania
Holliday is hitting .242 with a .680 OPS this season. Before Thursday’s game, he had a .478 OPS in August, a .607 OPS since July 1 and a .626 OPS since June 1.
Mansolino was asked this question before Thursday’s game. Here’s what he said:
“We’ve talked about it, but I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. I think we need to support the kid, have his back and know that he’s had three bad weeks now or two bad weeks, whatever it is, and he’s not happy by any means. You go back to facing Max Fried in New York and having that game out of the DH spot in the one hole, everything’s just going up at that point. So is it OK for a player to have a few bad weeks or a bad month? Yeah, I think we see it all the time.
“He’s played a lot this year. There’s things that they’re working on swing-wise. He’s getting a lot of information right now on himself to set himself up for the future — to be the guy that he’s going to become. It’s really hard to watch players go through struggles, but being a coach, I also know that guys struggling a lot of times is the best thing for them.”
There’s a strong argument that Holliday should have been moved down in the order in June or July as the Orioles were fighting to get back in playoff contention. With Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Rutschman healthy, there was an opportunity to move Holliday down and put Gunnar Henderson, the team’s best hitter, back atop the order. That change, though, would not have altered the Orioles’ outlook and prevented a trade deadline fire sale.
At this point, given Baltimore is focused on what’s best for the 2026 club, leaving Holliday in the leadoff spot seems to be the right decision for the reasons Mansolino listed. The only way out of this slump for Holliday is through it, and the best way to help him do that is to give him as many at-bats as possible.
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at jameyer@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.
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