The best and worst moments from last season

The Orioles and their fans hope 2025 is the year that brings a championship back to Baltimore.

While the ballclub fell short in 2024, there were plenty of great moments — from walk-off homers to All-Star seasons to near no-hitters. But the year also brought plenty of challenging ones as the Orioles were decimated by injuries and were again swept in the postseason.

To ring in the new year, here are the best and worst Orioles moments from 2024, ordered chronologically.

Best: David Rubenstein agrees to buy Orioles

Whether the Rubenstein era is better than the Angelos era remains to be seen, but this news was met with thunderous applause from a fan base that grew tired of the Angelos family’s ownership of the Orioles.

Best: Orioles trade for Corbin Burnes

Two days later, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias swung one of the biggest trades in Baltimore baseball history by acquiring Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers. For the first time since Mike Mussina left for the Yankees, the Orioles had an ace.

Worst: Jackson Holliday doesn’t make opening day roster

In hindsight, this might have been the correct decision given Holliday’s struggles in his first big league season. But the hype surrounding the top prospect energized a fan base ready to welcome its newest young star, and that balloon popped near the end of spring training when he was reassigned to minor league camp.

Best: Sale of team approved by MLB as Orioles win opening day

A new owner, a blowout win and free beer for fans at Pickles Pub. Opening day had everything Orioles fans could hope after Rubenstein was introduced after his purchase of the club was officially approved by MLB the day before. He would soon gain greater control after Peter Angelos’ death in late March. The Orioles blasted the Los Angeles Angels behind Corbin Burnes’ gem, and members of the new ownership group celebrated with fans at the nearby bar.

Best: Jordan Westburg walks off Royals to begin All-Star campaign

“That was the coolest moment of my career so far,” Westburg said after his two-run walk-off homer in early April against Kansas City. That’s before he knew he’d go onto make the All-Star Game in his breakout sophomore season.

Worst: Holliday struggles after MLB debut

A few weeks into the season, Holliday was playing so well in Triple-A he earned the call to the show. The excitement of his arrival — and his wearing of Cal Ripken Sr.’s No. 7 — wore off after he opened his career 2-for-34 with 18 strikeouts and was optioned back to the minors.

Best: Colton Cowser breaks out in Boston

While Holliday debuted in Boston, it was Cowser who emerged as the Orioles’ star rookie, totaling 10 RBIs in a three-game series. The vibrant outfielder had his ups and downs in 2024, but he finished a close second in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Worst: Orioles’ sweepless streak ends at 106

The streak was always more of a fun fact than something that was crucial to preserve. However, it did define the post-rebuild era of Orioles baseball after Baltimore went all of 2023 without being swept — until, of course, the playoffs. The streak ended in May at the hands of the Cardinals, and the Orioles were narrowly a .500 team from that point forward.

Best: Kyle Bradish pitches near no-hitter

Despite suffering a partially torn elbow ligament in the offseason, Bradish proved upon his return that he was an even better version of the pitcher he was in 2023 when he finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting. He pitched seven no-hit innings with 11 strikeouts against the Chicago White Sox in May, but his bullpen wasn’t able to finish the job.

Best: Corbin Burnes outduels Phillies’ Zack Wheeler in playoff-like atmosphere

At the time, the Orioles’ home series against the Phillies was seen as a potential World Series preview. Despite Philadelphia fans at times making Camden Yards feel like Citizens Bank Park, the Orioles won the series, capped with a solid start from Burnes on Father’s Day and four homers off Wheeler.

Worst: Kyle Bradish (and other pitchers) out for season

The height of the Orioles’ regular season perhaps came during their June series in New York. But so did their biggest blow. Elias announced Bradish would be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery, making him the third Orioles starting pitcher to suffer the fate after John Means and Tyler Wells earlier in the year. Reliever Danny Coulombe also underwent elbow surgery and missed three months.

Best: Orioles bash Yankees, 17-5, to win emotional series

The Orioles-Yankees series in June had everything but the kitchen sink: an intense rivalry, a thrilling win in extra innings and plenty of offense. The Orioles took the series after winning the finale, 17-5, in one of the best offensive displays in franchise history.

Worst: Benches clear vs. Yankees after Heston Kjerstad hit in head

Amid one of the Orioles’ worst losing streaks of the season, Heston Kjerstad was struck in the head by a fastball from Clay Holmes and had his season altered because of the concussion he suffered. The incident caused benches to clear in the early July game, resulting in a small fracas and a Brandon Hyde ejection.

Best: Orioles end first half with wild walk-off win over Yankees

Two days later, the Orioles earned one of the biggest wins of their season. Cedric Mullins’ walk-off double — aided by Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo’s poor route — ended Baltimore’s five-game losing streak and sent the team into the break with a much-needed victory.

Best: Gunnar Henderson, Corbin Burnes take center stage at All-Star festivities

Henderson didn’t clobber too many long balls during his first Home Run Derby experience, but his stylish “Scooby-Doo”-themed bat sure drew attention. The next day, Burnes started on the mound for the AL, flying in the day of the game after spending time with his wife and newborn twin daughters.

Best: Orioles acquire Zach Eflin, trade away Austin Hays

In late July, Elias acquired Eflin from the Tampa Bay Rays in one of the best trades made at the deadline. That same day, Baltimore surprisingly parted ways with Hays, a team leader and rebuild survivor, but got back reliever Seranthony Domínguez, who soon took over as the Orioles’ closer.

Worst: Orioles trade for Trevor Rogers

But Elias’ deadline was far from perfect. A few days later, he gave up prospects Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby to the Miami Marlins for Rogers, who started only four games for the Orioles before his demotion to Triple-A.

Best: James McCann stays in game after hit by pitch to face

McCann proved all the cliches about his leadership and grittiness true in late July when he took a 94 mph fastball to the face in the first inning of a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays and remained in the game despite his bloodied nose and bruised eye.

Best: Jackson Holliday blasts grand slam onto Eutaw Street

In his first game back since being demoted in April, Holliday didn’t waste any time showing his immense talent. He clobbered a 439-foot home run onto Eutaw Street to power the Orioles to a win over the Blue Jays on July 31.

Worst: Jordan Westburg suffers fractured hand

As exciting as Holliday’s slam was, it was overshadowed by an injury Westburg suffered that same day. The All-Star infielder was hit on the hand by a 95 mph fastball and missed the next seven weeks.

Worst: Coby Mayo struggles after MLB debut

The hype for Mayo wasn’t quite as high as Holliday, but his eye-popping numbers in Triple-A combined with the Orioles’ offensive struggles in early August created added anticipation. But, like Holliday, Mayo couldn’t find his footing in the big leagues, going 1-for-17 with 10 strikeouts before being sent back down.

Worst: Grayson Rodriguez suffers season-ending shoulder injury

It wasn’t known at the time, but when Rodriguez was scratched from his start in early August, it ended his season. The strained shoulder muscle couldn’t heal in time for the postseason, cutting short the right-hander’s promising sophomore campaign.

Best: Anthony Santander smacks go-ahead grand slam vs. Astros

Homers like the one Santander hit in late August against Houston made what could be his final year in Baltimore one to remember. One of his 44 long balls, Santander propelled the struggling Orioles to a come-from-behind victory with his dramatic grand slam in the eighth inning.

Worst: Orioles hit rock bottom in loss to Tigers

After months of mediocre performance, it got even worse in September as the Orioles were nearly on the receiving end of a perfect game and then a no-hitter against Detroit. If not for Henderson’s late triple, a quartet of Tigers would have pitched the 22nd combined no-hitter in MLB history.

Worst: Orioles cut closer Craig Kimbrel

Kimbrel was nearly an All-Star after a stellar first half, but his performance soured after the break. He was one of the majors’ worst relievers in the second half, and the potential future Hall of Famer was designated for assignment in mid-September.

Best: Orioles clinch playoff berth in New York

It took longer than expected, but the Orioles clinched a playoff berth during their penultimate series of the season and celebrated in the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium. It marked the first time since 1996-97 — before Rutschman, Henderson and Westburg were born — that Baltimore made the playoffs in consecutive seasons. They weren’t able to repeat as AL East champions, though, as New York claimed the division title a few days later.

Worst: Orioles swept in AL wild-card round by Royals

New year, same result. The Orioles were bounced from the postseason without winning a game as Kansas City won two low-scoring affairs to extend Baltimore’s playoff losing streak to 10. The sweep ended what was at times a tumultuous season, and it left the organization searching for answers.

Best: Mike Elias “confident” Orioles can boost payroll under David Rubenstein

Elias made no guarantees about spending during his end-of-season news conference, but he did strike a different tone about payroll, stating he’s “pretty confident” the Orioles will continue the payroll’s “upward slope.” Before Christmas, Elias checked off several items on his wish list without giving out large contracts, signing outfielder Tyler O’Neill, catcher Gary Sánchez and pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano to contracts worth a combined $38 million in 2025.

Worst: Corbin Burnes leaves for Arizona as Orioles enter 2025 without an ace

It was always expected to be an uphill battle for the Orioles to re-sign Burnes, but they officially lost it in late December when the right-hander inked a six-year, $210 million deal with the Diamondbacks. While Sugano added depth to the rotation, Burnes leaves a hole atop the rotation that remains unfilled with about six weeks remaining in the offseason.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at [e-mail], 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.