The flight to Milwaukee was quieter than usual. No card games, no banter, just the dull hum of a team trying to make sense of its new reality. Brandon Hyde, the man who had led the Orioles from rock bottom to the top of the AL East, was suddenly gone. Players were shaken, staff blindsided. For a franchise that has clung to the word “progress” for years, this felt like a moment of emotional whiplash.

One source close to the clubhouse called the mood “traumatic.”

Hyde wasn’t just a placeholder manager for the rebuild. He was its emotional compass. Hired in 2019 to navigate one of the sport’s most punishing teardowns, he stuck it out through the worst of times and helped forge a new identity with a young, exciting core. The Orioles won 101 games in 2023. They made back-to-back playoff appearances. And now?

Just 43 games into 2025, with a 15–28 record and a clubhouse searching for answers, the franchise has hit a wall.

“This is a team that we feel collectively and individually is underperforming its talent level,” GM Mike Elias told reporters, via the Baltimore Sun. “We want something new in order to hopefully restore again to the level that we expect of ourselves.” That’s not exactly a gentle nudge. It’s a pointed diagnosis. And it’s coming from the architect of the rebuild himself, a man who once wore patience like armor.

The bluntness didn’t stop there.

Elias labeled the offensive struggles as a complete letdown, pointing out that a group “universally lauded” for its firepower in 2024 has nosedived to 25th in runs scored and 22nd in OPS. The rotation hasn’t done its part either, stumbling to 29th in team ERA. Adley Rutschman, once thought to be the Orioles’ Buster Posey, has an OPS+ of 86. It’s not just regression, it’s a full-blown unraveling.

And the solution? A new voice.

Tony Mansolino, Hyde’s former third-base coach, steps in as interim manager. The front office is clearly hoping for a Phillies-style revival, the kind that propelled Rob Thomson from relative unknown to October hero in 2022. But that turnaround required more than just a leadership change. It required belief. Right now, belief in Baltimore feels like it’s on life support.

The Orioles don’t just need better stats. They need to rediscover their identity and fast. Otherwise, 2025 won’t be remembered as a blip in the rebuild. It’ll be remembered as the collapse of a once-promising core.

Adley, off track: Orioles’ core player in crisis

Adley Rutschman was expected to be the Orioles’ main player. The standout catcher who led the team on and off the field with his All-Star skills and presence in the clubhouse. However, amid Baltimore’s 2025 baseball season, Rutschman’s recent struggles at bat have emerged as a concerning narrative. After playing 50 games, his batting average stands at .211, accompanied by five home runs and 15 RBIs. A decline from his past performances, indeed.

The decrease isn’t only evident in the stats but in the actual game situations, too.

During a game on April 20, Rutschman had a hitless performance, going 0 for 4 with a walk to his name, which caused his batting average to fall below the Mendoza Line at .192. What’s more concerning is his struggles against fastballs, a pitch he previously excelled against. Back in 2023, his expected batting average against fastballs was .298, and his expected slugging percentage was .529. And now, these numbers have taken a dip.

Rutschman had to leave a game on May 25 due to being hit by a tip on his mask, leading to questions about his well-being and endurance levels on the team. Although the interim manager, Tony Mansolino, later clarified it as a precautionary measure taken during the game. Still, it highlights the toll that the ongoing season’s demands have had on the Orioles’ catcher.

In the end, for the Orioles to reverse their luck, they need Rutschman to get back in his groove. His guidance and playing skills are crucial for the team’s victory and a comeback; his batting game might just be what Baltimore is yearning for.