A look at a pitcher that could be an X-factor for the 2025 Orioles

The countdown is on to Opening Day

Captain Obvious called to remind me that the Orioles 2025 season will likely be determined by how well their pitching staff performs. I thanked him for checking in and then noted that almost goes without saying.

But we are saying it again today.

They did not re-sign their ace Corbin Burnes and now will start the season with their ace-in-waiting Grayson Rodriguez, a pitcher with an ERA of only 3.35 his last 33 starts, on the injured list. We don’t know yet when he will make his 2025 debut. It’s not close at this point.

So the O’s rotation is teetering a bit as the season starts and 41-year-old Charlie Morton, a pitcher who has been durable in the second half of his career, now is their No. 2 starter. A pitcher who almost retired after last year.

So yeah, Jim Palmer in his prime is not walking through that door. But luckily for us, he will walk to the broadcast booth to detail all of this.

The hope here is that a lot breaks right for this rotation in that:

• Zach Eflin repeats his 2024 O’s performance.

• Morton has another good season in the sun left.

• Dean Kremer takes a nice step forward.

• Tomoyuki Sugano holds his own in the majors.

That brings us to left-hander Cade Povich, the No. 5 starter, who earned it by following up his strong end to last year with a nice start to this one.

Povich could be an X-factor for this team this year.

Maybe as someone ready to take a nice leap forward and show what we have seen from him since last September is not just a quality small sample, but a pitcher who has turned a corner.

Drafted by the Minnesota Twins out of Nebraska in 2021, Povich was acquired in a deal that has turned out well for the Orioles. On Aug. 2, 2022 the O’s sent reliever Jorge Lopez to the Twins for four pitchers – Povich, Yennier Cano, and minor league hurlers Juan Nunez and Juan Rojas.

Povich is not a hard thrower we know, but seems to really be learning how to pitch and how his stuff plays versus major league hitters. Smarts and pitchability are strong points here. In an O’s rotation clearly with some age on it, it’s nice to have some youth with promise. That is what Povich represents.

With Sunday’s announcement that he is the O’s fifth starter, Povich gets the home opener assignment at Oriole Park on March 31 vs. Boston.

“Slim” Povich should be ready to go that day and we begin to find out if he truly has turned a corner and could give the Orioles more than what we might have expected heading into spring training.

Other news Sunday: We also found out Sunday that shortstop Gunnar Henderson will start the year on the injured list. He could miss as few as seven games. Again, getting him right for the full year is the priority here and it was no surprise to me that Gunnar is not ready yet to start his year.

But the Mountain is.

Closer Felix Bautista, barring a last minute change of mind, will be on the Opening Day roster, said manager Brandon Hyde on Sunday. No doubt they will not push him too hard, too fast, but he’s back and that should be big for this team.

How about the Triple-A rotation?: While pitchers Chayce McDermott and Trevor Rogers, who have been injured, are in the early stages of a throwing program to return, the O’s still have a host of pitchers who are candidates for their Triple-A Norfolk rotation.

No way all of this group can be in that starting group at the same time, but there is a lot to choose from to include: Brandon Young, Justin Armbruester, Carlos Tavera, Thaddeus Ward and Kyle Brnovich. Possibles to move up from Double-A include Alex Pham, Trace Bright, Ryan Long, Cameron Weston and Patrick Reilly.

Coming soon here: Another article on one of the O’s affiliate minor league broadcasters.