The Baltimore Orioles fell to 15-29 on Saturday afternoon, losing their first game without Brandon Hyde in the dugout since he took the manager position in 2019. It has been a nightmare season for the O's and their fans. This team was in the World Series conversation not so long ago. Now, folks are wondering if the train has already gone off the tracks.
Hyde's dismissal was hardly a surprise, but it mainly serves to paper over larger issues in the clubhouse. For all the talent Baltimore has stockpiled in its farm system, their player development track record is spotty at best. There is also the matter of the front office. Mike Elias has given out one — one! — multi-year contract in his tenure as GM. That was the three-year, $49 million deal he handed to Tyler O'Neill six months ago, which is already one of the worst values in MLB.
Pretty much nothing has gone right for Baltimore since the calendar flipped to 2025. That said, there is still hope in the form of Jackson Holliday, who gives the O's a unique upper hand when it comes to getting things back on track.
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Jackson Holliday's immense upside should help Orioles land its next manager
The thing about Baltimore is, despite everything said above, the team is in a good spot. There's a lot of talent. A lot of room for growth. The AL East is a true gauntlet, but as the last couple years proved, this team is a few positive tweaks away from genuine contention. Their record right now does not reflect the upside, short and long term, of taking this job.
It helps to have a player like Jackson Holliday in the mix. Playing his first full big-league season at just 21 years old, Holliday has already logged at-bats in the leadoff spot for Baltimore. He still needs to trim his strikeout numbers and operate with more plate discipline, but Holliday's swing looks night-and-day better than it was last fall. He is playing with far most confidence, boasting a .764 OPS and five home runs through 39 appearances.
Holliday is at the very beginning of what promises to be a long, skyward ascent. The former No. 1 overall pick is oozing with five-tool potential, blessed with 92nd percentile sprint speed, a compact swing and plenty of pop. As he continues to refine his strike zone, improve bat-to-ball skills, and work on his defense, Holliday should be in the All-Star mix before long.
Factor in the wealth of ascendant talent around him, from perennial MVP candidate Gunnar Henderson to other young standouts like Adley Rutschman, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad, and that Baltimore gig looks pretty good. The O's should be the best vacancy for prospective managers next offseason, barring any surprises down the line. With all due respect to Colorado and Pittsburgh, the best managers will see the clearest path to success with the O's.
It's dark right now, Baltimore fans, but take solace in the fact that your future is bright.