The Baltimore Orioles have had a dreadful season. They didn't do enough to address their pitching weaknesses over the winter, and an injury-ravaged staff has since fallen apart. This led them to fall well out of postseason contention early in the 2025 season, and it also led to them selling off some expiring contracts at the trade deadline. Now, the future is uncertain for both the Orioles and some of their stars.
On Tuesday, one of those stars, infielder Jackson Holliday, was presented with a tremendous honor, winning the Orioles' Heart and Hustle award. It certainly is something worth celebrating, as Holliday is still only in the early stages of what should be a fantastic career.
However, given where the Orioles stand and the reasons why they are in this position heading down the stretch, it seems just a little disingenuous.
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Jackson Holliday presented with award that feels disingenuous
Obviously, nothing should take away from this achievement. The Heart and Hustle award is given to one player on each team who best represents a strong work ethic and ability to lead a team, so this is no small feat by Holliday at such a young age. He's weathered a lot so far in his brief MLB career, and he deserves credit for his mental fortitude and his ability to lead amid injuries and adversity to his team's more established stars.
However, it doesn't take the sting out of what has been a dreadful season for the Orioles. They fell under .500 very early in the season and have essentially been an afterthought since. Their slow start even resulted in manager Brandon Hyde being fired despite having led the team to the postseason in 2023 and 2024.
But had Baltimore just addressed its pitching staff properly and made bigger moves rather than diving into the bargain bin for help last offseason, they could still be a contender in the AL East. Instead, they are in last place with a record of 51-62, and they sit 14.5 games out of first place. They also are nine games back in the Wild Card race, so any chance of them reaching the postseason is essentially gone.
Again, Holliday deserves this honor. He's an exciting young player with a bright future. This year, he is hitting .256/.304/.402 with 14 home runs, 43 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a .705 OPS. He's only going to continue getting better, and this may not be the last time he takes home the Heart and Hustle award in his career.
But the award might feel a little bit better if the Orioles had actually put together a respectable ballclub and found a way to contend in 2025. Perhaps 2026 will be a year in which they have better luck.