The Baltimore Orioles’ starting rotation appears weaker on paper heading into the new season compared to last year. This decline was anticipated following Corbin Burnes’ departure in free agency. However, the team’s failure to secure another top-tier starting pitcher to fill the void left by Burnes raises significant concerns about their pitching depth.
Among the new additions to the rotation are Tomoyuki Sugano, pitching outside Japan for the first time, and veteran Charlie Morton, who is now over 40 years old. While Sugano’s adjustment to Major League Baseball remains uncertain, Morton offers a key strength that could greatly benefit the Orioles: his ability to rack up strikeouts.
Since 2017, Morton has been one of baseball’s premier strikeout pitchers, amassing 1,417 strikeouts over that span. Only Gerrit Cole (1,713), Aaron Nola (1,590), and Max Scherzer (1,526) have more during the same period. Even as he ages, Morton continues to deliver high strikeout numbers, with over 200 strikeouts in two of the last four seasons and a K/9 ratio exceeding 10.0 in three of them. His ability to generate swings and misses could provide a significant boost to Baltimore’s rotation in 2025.
Last season, the Orioles’ starters ranked 13th in Major League Baseball with 1,380 strikeouts. Burnes contributed 181 strikeouts in 32 starts with a K/9 ratio of 8.4, lower than Morton’s 9.1. While Morton isn’t expected to fully replace the impact of Burnes, his strikeout ability could help stifle opposing lineups and strengthen Baltimore’s pitching staff.
