Orioles Turn the Corner in June as Stars Return and Bats Wake Up

The Orioles were in the dumps with a horrendous 15-28 record when they fired former manager Brandon Hyde in May. For a team with World Series aspirations, this was simply unacceptable. Since May 17th, when interim manager Tony Mansolino took over, the Birds are 16-13. This is a major improvement, but it still might not be enough to climb out of the hole they dug themselves in. The rest of May had its ups and downs, they were reeling from Hyde’s departure, but managed to stabilize the ship until they got some key players back.

Once June came around, the O’s started playing by far their best ball of the season. They have a record of 11-5 with a positive run differential of +19 (they still have the 2nd-worst differential in the AL despite the improvement). There are a lot of reasons why the Orioles seemed to have turned a corner.

Mansolino has done a better job of letting guys like Jackson Holliday and Ryan O’Hearn have consistent play time, instead of platooning them based on pitching matchups. The starting pitching has gone from historically bad to just below average. The Orioles have also gotten some big names back from the injured list. 

Zach Eflin has reclaimed his status as the Orioles number 1 starter, and Andrew Kittredge has been reliable in the bullpen after missing 1.5 months. Key hitters Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser are back, and now 1-9 in the lineup can all do damage. Morale has improved thanks to winning and leadership from guys like Westburg, O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins, and new coach John Mabry.

Orioles Bullpen Gets Red Hot in June Behind Bautista, Baker

The biggest improvement this month has been the Orioles bullpen. For the first two months of the season, the ‘pen had a 5.34 ERA and a -0.2 fWAR. The relievers in the first half of the month of June have put up the following numbers, according to fangraphs:

• 60.1 Innings pitched

• 1.19 ERA

• 2.55 FIP

• 77 Strikeouts

• 1.5 fWAR

• 0 inherited runners have scored

They have been nothing short of dominant. 

During a recent 6 game road trip, Orioles relievers gave up just 1 earned run. With lots of reliable options on the back end, the team knows that if they can get a lead into the 7th, their odds are great. This kind of performance is similar to what the O’s were able to do in 2023, when they won 101 games and the AL East crown. 

In order to make up the ground they need to make the playoffs, they will have to win a lot of close games. The best way to do that is to have a rock solid bullpen. There have been a lot of contributors to the bullpen’s meteoric rise, but we are going to take a look at a few key guys.

Felix Bautista: Not 100%, But Still Dominant

Bautista was the best reliever in baseball in 2023 before his injury and Tommy John surgery. He still got a top-10 Cy Young finish despite being a reliever and missing the last month and a half. Since his return, he is not quite the same pitcher he was in ‘23, but he is still way too good for MLB hitters to have much of a chance against him.

Bautista Fastball Hits 100 MPH, 15 of 16 on Save Attempts

The Mountain is 15/16 on save attempts this season. His fastball has averaged 97.2 mph this season, about 2 mph lower than 2023. 

But there are encouraging signs, Bautista hit 100mph for the first time in Sunday’s win against the Angels. To offset the loss in velocity, Bautista has lowered his fastball usage from around 70% to 56% mixing in a slider (mostly to righties) and his devastating splitter more frequently. The split is Bautista’s best strikeout pitch, and opponents are hitting .081 against it, when they are lucky enough to make contact. In fact, the expected batting average against Felix is just .175, which puts him in the 99th percentile. The Mountain has given up just 1 run in his last 10 appearances, and none so far in June.

The other concern besides the velocity is the amount of walks. Batters are walking 16.5% of the time against Felix, putting him in the bottom 1% of MLB. The good thing is that Bautista’s stuff is so good, hitters don’t often capitalize on those walks. Part of the issue might be that he is trying to put more effort into the fastball, which makes it harder to control. Either way, Bautista continues to be a shutdown closer in his return. If he can find a little bit extra velo and lower the walk rate, he will be a Cy Young candidate again.

Bryan Baker: From Spring Training Bubble to Set-Up Man

Baker was a key part of the Orioles rise in 2022 and 2023, often used as a fire man when the Orioles needed a big out with runners on base. He made over 110 appearances over two seasons with a 3.50 ERA. The wheels started to come off at the end of 2023 when he was sent back down to Triple-A Norfolk. 

Last season he struggled massively with a 5.01 ERA in just 23 innings while moving back and forth between the minors. But in Spring Training, he was a new man and pitched well enough to earn an opening day roster spot. This season might be his best so far.

• 36 games (1st in AL)

• 3-1 record

• 2.41 ERA

• 0.89 WHIP

• 33.9 K% (95th Percentile)

Baker has always relied on an impressive fastball with a slider and changeup in the mix. The fastball is good like always, averaging 97 mph with just a .186 BAA. The big difference for Baker has been his changeup, he is at his best when he can set up the hitter with a fastball and fake them out. Take a look at this chart showing Baker’s changeup stats over his 4 seasons in Baltimore

This year Baker’s changeup has his highest avg velocity, highest usage, and highest swing and miss of his career. Compare his numbers in 2024 with the rest, and it's clear that when his changeup is going good, he is too. Shake and Bake has given up just 1 run in June so far, and has thrived since being moved to the 8th inning role in the bullpen. He has been one of the biggest surprises of the season. It’s always great to see a guy who works hard and be rewarded with success.

Seranthony Domínguez: A New Pitch With Devastating Results

Domínguez has always been a fireballer with control issues. The Phillies traded him to Baltimore last year because he couldn’t be relied on. But his stuff was never the issue. Seranothy lives up in the zone with a fastball coming at 98-99 mph, and an arsenal of breaking pitches. The breaking stuff has had mixed results throughout his career, but he seemed to have found an answer last year with a sharp sweeper that darts away from righties. So far this season, opponents are hitting .048 off the sweeper. 

Ser had a great start to 2025 with 9 scoreless appearances, then May hit him like a freight train. He had an ERA of 7.15 during the month, pitching a lot of late innings when the O’s were already out of the game. Things looked bleak for a while, but it was during this stretch when Domínguez may have found his secret weapon. 

He had used a curveball against lefties as a secondary pitch, and opponents were teeing off for a .593 xBA.Clearly that wasn’t working, and he started to break out a splitter in games that danced away from lefties. Opposing hitters have an xBA of .056, and Domínguez has a frankly ridiculous 64.3% whiff rate on the new pitch. Now that he is able to get hitters out on both sides of the plate, Seranthony has cruised through June with 0 earned runs allowed in his last 11 appearances. Dominguez has some of the best stuff in the big leagues, as evidenced by his percentiles, per Statcast.

The entire bullpen has been excellent in June. In addition to those already mentioned, lefties Gregory Soto and Keegan Akin have destroyed left handed hitters all season. The Orioles starting pitchers and hitters will now come into games with more confidence. If the O’s make the playoffs, they will have to rely on the same formula that got them to 101 wins in 2023. Good defense, small ball, get the lead and turn it over to the bullpen.