Five Bold Orioles Predictions Before Opening Day of 2025 MLB Season

Here are five predictions for the Baltimore Orioles before their opening day series next week against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) celebrates a 2-run home run against Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, September 14, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have gone 192-132 over the last two seasons while making the playoffs in each. They already have a young, championship core with minor league reinforcements that could further elevate the Orioles to one of the league's best offenses over the next several years.

They head towards opening day as one of the primary contenders in the American League.

Regular season games are now just days away, so let's make five predictions for Baltimore's 2025 campaign.

Orioles Make the Playoffs For Third Straight Year, Win AL East

Expect Baltimore to continue their winning ways with another trip to the postseason in 2025.

Injuries have made the New York Yankees vulnerable, and the Orioles could be the primary beneficiary. If Baltimore's pitching staff performs well or adds an impact arm like Framber Valdez or one of the contract-year pitchers from the San Diego Padres, the AL East is theirs for the taking.

Gunnar Henderson Wins American League MVP

Henderson finished the 2024 season with a 9.1 bWAR and 37 homers in his second-full MLB season. If he keeps up that astounding level of production it's not a question of if Henderson will win an MVP award, but when.

Henderson's status for Opening Day remains uncertain, which clouds his MVP prospects for the 2025 season. That said, manager Brandon Hyde wouldn't be talking about Henderson potentially being ready for the start of the season if his intercostal strain was a long-term concern.

Therefore, even if Henderson is on the shelf to start the season, he'll likely return soon with plenty of time to produce at an MVP-caliber level.

Colton Cowser Will be an All-Star

Cowser was the runner up in a narrow AL Rookie of the Year race in 2024 behind a 3.1 bWAR and 24 homers.

Making a Major League All-Star roster as an outfielder is no easy task, but he has the premium pedigree as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft and he's coming off an impressive rookie campaign. Cowser has the upside to take a leap in his second full year in the Majors.

Tomoyuki Sugano Contends for AL Rookie of the Year

If Baltimore gets an in-house boost from their rotation, it likely comes from 35-year-old rookie Sugano, who is a dark horse AL Rookie of the Year contender. Sugano has pitched professionally in Japan for 12 seasons, giving him an extremely rare mix of having a ton of experience despite Big League hitters have little to no exposure to him.

The AL Rookie of the Year class has several premium contenders, which is why it will be a noteworthy accomplishment if Sugano just contends for the award. If he does, he can have a big impact for the Orioles in his first season.

Orioles 2025 Record Prediction: 89-73

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