Your weekly dose of real baseball talk with Stan "The Fan" Charles.
The Orioles came home from a 2-4 road trip having won a series against the Angels and hoping to gain a little momentum. Instead, the team fell flat on their faces, going 0-6 on the homestand, getting Brandon Hyde fired and Kyle Gibson DFA'd along the way. Zach and Paul give their reactions and try to find signs of life from this dead squad on The Bat Around.
After suffering a sweep at the hands of the Twins in Minnesota, the Orioles went out to LA to take on the Angels and found some of that magic elixir that's been eluding them as the took 2 of 3 with another stellar start from Tomoyuki Sugano on Friday and a solid return to action from Zack Eflin fresh of the IL on Sunday. Can the Orioles carry their winning ways into a revenge series with the Twins in Baltimore? Zack Moore joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
May the 4th be with you, because it certainly isn't with your Baltimore Orioles. They get good pitching, they still can't hit, and when they finally hit, their pitching gives up 7 HR to the team with the fewest HRs in all of baseball. To put it in perspective, prior to Sunday, the Royals hadn't hit 7 HRs in any week of the season, and they hit 7 on Sunday afternoon, a game the Orioles lost 11-6 despite hitting 4 HRs themselves. Zach Moore is back to discuss that and more with Paul on The Bat Around!
What is there to even say at this point? The Orioles are playing their worst baseball in 4 years. The pitching is terrible, the offense is somehow worse, and there appears to be no end in sight. Yet, somehow, nobody has been held accountable and no consequences have been rendered despite the fact the team is 52-63 in their last 115 games dating back to June 24th. Zach Moore is back to discuss that and more with Paul on The Bat Around!
The bats have gone cold, the pitching has been off, the lineups have been questionable, and the defense has been sloppy. The Orioles entered the weekend 3 games under .500 for the first time in 3 years, and they don't look like they have any ability to turn it around anytime soon. Glenn Clark joins Paul to discuss the Orioles' slow start and whether a move needs to be made sooner than later to jump start the season. That and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles bats continued their up-and-down trend to start the season, going ice cold immediately following a breakout performance yet again as they lost 4-1 to the Royals to drop the series, 2-1. Brandon Hyde continued to make his regularly scheduled gaffes as the Orioles have struggled to find any consistency to this point. Zach Moore of PigTownSports is back to join Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles kissed their sister, splitting the 4-game series in Toronto. The bats were red-hot in games 1 & 3, and ice-cold in games 2 & 4. Which team should we believe they are after 4 games? Plus, the new-combers to the rotation struggle in their first turn, and the injury bug just won't stop biting. Dillon Atkinson joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Opening Day is just four days away! How did the Orioles look in their final tune-up before they head North for the Summer? Is Gunnar ready to go for the season opener? How about Felix? Plus, how does the the rest of the division and the league shape up? Zack Moore is pulling back-to-back shifts as he joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
We're inside of two weeks until Opening Day, and the roster picture still has some lasting murkiness: Who is the fifth starter? Will Gunnar Henderson be ready for Opening Day? Will Jorge Mateo? Who plays SS if neither can go? Plus, Tomoyuki Sugano has looked, dare I say, dominant? Zach Moore is back to discuss that and more with Paul on The Bat Around!
A relatively quiet spring got pretty noisy for the Birds this past week, with not-so-great news on injuries to Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez, and Andrew Kittredge. Is the team in trouble? Plus, Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton are leaving a good impression on their new team. How big were these signings for the Orioles, especially considering the onslaught of injuries? Ask and you shall receive as Dillon Atkinson joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Bat Around: March 2nd, 2025 by The Bat Around
Spring Training is in full-swing and the Orioles are back in action as the Grapefruit League Schedule has begun. What can we take away from these early games? Probably not a whole lot, but hey, it's baseball! Plus, how do the Orioles position players stack up against the rest of the AL East? Matt Trigger of Fowl Ball Talk joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Spring Training is underway, and everybody is in the best shape of their lives and the ball is coming out of the hand great! Felix Bautista believes he will be 100% by Opening Day, Tyler O'Neill is as muscular as ever, and Heston Kjerstad is ready to take on a larger role. Zach Moore (PigTownSports) joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Spring Training is just three days away, and the Orioles enter camp with a number of question marks. How does the rotation shake out? Why does this team need 6 outfielders with big league experience? What is the plan for Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo? Ryan Blake joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Birdland Caravan is underway and the team culture looks to be in midseason form. Mike Elias spoke to the media to kick things off and had some interesting things to say about the rotation, new ownership, and the quality of the roster. Plus, Felix Bautista will NOT be a full-go to start Spring Training. Have the Orioles missed the boat on adding another reliever with legitimate closing experience? Zach Moore of PigTown Sports joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Anthony Santander is a Blue Jay. Did the Orioles make a mistake letting 44 HR and 102 RBI walk out the door? First Corbin Burnes, now Tony Taters. Plus, robot umpires are being tested out in Spring Training. Is this better or worse for baseball? Zach Moore of PigTown Sports joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Roki Sasaki Sweepstakes are over and...he's not an Oriole. Nope, the rich get richer (again) as the LA Dodgers have signed the 23-y.o. hard-throwing phenom. Does Major League Baseball have a problem on it's hands? Plus, Anthony Santander remains unsigned despite the link to the Blue Jays. Is Toronto, in the words of Syd Thrift, playing with confederate money? Glenn Clark, and then later Stan Charles, join Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles made another splash! That's right, they've expanded the Bird Bath to include section 84! But also, they signed high-leverage reliever Andrew Kittredge to sure up the backend of their bullpen. And rumors are the team had an agreement with top reliever Jeff Hoffman before a physical turned up some shoulder issues. Does this mean the Orioles have more in store? Jeremy Conn of 105.7 The Fan's Big Bad Morning Show joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles signed another starting pitcher in the form of veteran Charlie Morton, inking the 2x All-Star and 2x World Series Champion to a 1-year, $15M pact. Is this the veteran leadership a young Orioles team needs, or is just another aging presence in a shaky rotation for a team desperate to get to it's first World Series in 42 years? Zach Moore of @PigTownSports and Griffin Bass join Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Burnes'd Again! Corbin Burnes is a Diamondback and the Orioles are still searching for their next ace. It's hard to argue that this team isn't currently worse than the one that scored 1 run in the playoffs three months ago, but we're damn sure going to try to find some kind of silver lining here. Dillon Atkinson joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The offseason is moving right along, and so are the Orioles. In the latest turn of events, the Birds have signed standout Japanese pitcher, 35-y.o. Tomoyuki Sugano, the 3x Central League MVP and 2x Sawamura Award Winner (NPB Cy Young equivalent). Is he enough to replace Corbin Burnes? Is Corbin Burnes actually gone? Have the Orioles kept pace with the Yankees and their flurry of high profile moves? PressBox's own Glenn Clark (Glenn Cark Radio; 105.7 The Fan) joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Hours after last week's show ended, the Orioles made their first splash of the offseason, signing Tyler O'Neill for 3/$49.5M, while also agreeing to terms with Gary Sanchez to be the backup catcher, signaling the likely end to the tenures of both Anthony Santander and James McCann in Baltimore. The problem? Crickets since. The Winter Meetings have come and gone, the top pitchers (aside from Corbin Burnes) are off the market, and the Orioles are still seemingly sitting on the hands. Is it time to panic? Zach Moore of PigTownSports joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Winter Meetings begin in Dallas tomorrow, and the Orioles are expected to be very active, but how active will they really be? With that in mind, we've decided to bring in a multitude of guests for the show today, starting off your second favorite host, from GCR and 105.7 the Fan, Glenn Clark, followed by Ryan Blake, Zack Goodman, Bob Phelan, and Dillon Atkinson. Plus, the proposed Golden At-Bat Rule: does anybody outside of Rob Manfred actually think this is a good idea? We discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Paul is back with another edition of The Bat Around, this time with Griffin Bass from Glenn Clark Radio and 105.7 The Fan. Paul and Griffin discuss the recent MLB signings, the Orioles new coaching staff, and go a little bit deeper on what the Orioles might or might not be willing to do this offseason. That and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles have been busy this offseason, even if it it hasn't been in the free agent market...yet. Danny Coulombe, Jacob Webb, and Matt Bowman are gone from the bullpen. How do the Orioles replace them? As the Winter Meetings approach, and with the green light from ownership to spend and spend some more, what is the Orioles plan to revamp their roster? Plus, Mt. Walltimore is moving back in. Does this mean more right handed bats? Zach Moore of PigTownSports joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Daaaaaaa...Yankees lose! The World Series is over and the New York Yankees have been handed a "Gentleman's Sweep" at the hands of the L.A. Dodgers, who won their 8th championship. Finally, something O's fans can celebrate in October! And with the culmination of the World Series, the offseason can begin in earnest. Paul is back, riding solo today, to discuss important offseason dates, Orioles free agents and arbitration eligible players, and whom he thinks the team should go after in free agency. All that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles' season ended in demoralizing fashion in the form of a 2-game sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. The team scored 1 run on 11 hits in two games and decided pitching to Bobby Witt was no big deal. Paul and Ryan share their thoughts on that and the future on The Bat Around.
The Birds are in! The Orioles clinched a playoff spot with their win over the Yankees on Tuesday, and then clinched the top WC seed with a win over the Twins last night! So now they can lick their wounds and prepare for a Tuesday matchup at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The only question is, who will they face: Detroit or KC? Paul and Ryan break it all down on The Bat Around!
the Orioles blasted the Tigers 7-1, hitting 5 home runs, including 2 apiece from Colton Cowser and James McCann to back another 7 inning shutout performance from Corbin Burnes. The O's Magic Number to clinch the playoffs is down to just 3, and a sweep of the Tigers would do the trick. Plus, Craig Kimbrel has been DFA'd, Danny Coulombe is back, and Jordan Westburg & Ramon Urias are right behind him. Are the vibes back? Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
These games read like an episode in a series: "Orioles lose another one behind a lackluster offense: Just don't get no-hit edition." Four Tigers pitchers came within an out of a no-no before Gunnar Henderson's 2-out triple in the 9th inning. Before that, it was a perfect game into the 8th before a leadoff walk by Adley Rutschman. Is it the injuries, Brandon Hyde, Mercury in Retrograde? Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Dean Kremer, coming off an early exit in his last start after taking a 103 mph liner off his arm, was spectacular, taking a no-hitter into the 7th inning of a 2-0 victory over the Rays. The bats, however, faltered yet again and Adley Rutschman seems as lost as ever at the plate. But Gunnar is scalding hot! Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles failed again to reach 3 straight wins, a feat they have yet to accomplish since wrapping a 3 game win streak around the All-Star Break. It makes the 5th straight occurrence in which 2 consecutive victories were followed by a defeat. Despite 10 runs on 17 hits, 4 hits from Jackson Holliday and 5 RBI from Ramon Urias, and scoreless outings from Brian Baker and Keegan Akin, the Birds dropped a slugfest to the Red Sox as Corbin Burnes had the worst outing of his career, allowing 8 runs on 10 hits in just 4 innings. Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles found themselves on the wrong end of another close game again last night, this time a 7-5 loss at the hands of the woeful Rockies. It was the same factors that have haunted them recently: a shaky bullpen and inconsistent bats. Can the team bounce back with a softer September schedule? Plus, more injuries have the O's scrambling, and Coby Mayo is back. Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles mounted a miraculous comeback as Tony Taters mashed a go-ahead, 8th inning grand slam to give the Birds an improbable 7-5 victory over the red-hot Astros. Was this the spark the team needed to get back on track? Plus, good news for the rotation, but bad news for the offense as a number of key players are slumping hard at the same time. Dillon Atkinson fills in for Ryan Blake as he and Paul discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles put together a solid team effort Friday night, getting 7 innings of shutout ball from Zach Eflin as he squared off against his former team for the first time since they traded him to Baltimore two weeks ago. With Grayson Rodriguez's injury, is Eflin just what the doctor ordered? And do the O's have a chance to solidify their spot in the postseason with September's softer start? Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles seemed to be gaining momentum, winning 4 of 5 games while also adding two rotation pieces and two bullpen pieces to the roster at the trade deadline. But then came another ill-fated trip to Cleveland that has seen the Orioles lose the first two games of the four game series by a combined 12 runs, clinching a 6th season series loss to the Guardians in the last seven full seasons. Can Zach Eflin and Corbin Burnes right the ship and salvage some dignity for the team? Plus, Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday are here and contributing! Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles are playing their worst baseball since early 2022, having lost 7 of 11. The team is just 16-20 since their 6-game winning streak dating back to June 13th. But clearer skies could be on the horizon as the team acquired Seranthony Dominguez and Zach Eflin in trades on Friday. Are they enough to get this team back on track? Plus, was Austin Hays causing a rift in the clubhouse? Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles opened the "second half" with some fireworks, blasting 4 multi-run home runs on their way to a decisive 9-1 victory over the Rangers, their 4th in 5 tries vs. the defending World Champions. Did the offensive outburst squash any lineup concerns, or are you still concerned over the bottom of the order? Plus, some trade rumors. It's that time of year! Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles suffered their 4th straight loss last night, falling to the Yankees, 3-1. With their lead in the AL East down to just 1 game, the Orioles find themselves in the midst of an offensive cold streak, having scored 1 run in their last 32 innings. Is help on the way? Plus, Heston Kjerstad takes a 97 mph FB to the ear, Brandon Hyde erupts, and benches clear. Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles won for the 6th time in 8 games since their 5 game losing streak, taking down the Oakland A's, 3-2, behind another gem from Albert Suarez. But the offense has scored 3 runs or less in 5 of 7 games and 8 of 13 overall. Is the offense a concern, and is help on the way? Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
After suffering a 5-game losing streak that saw the team lose two games in which they homered 4x, the Orioles are back to their winning ways! Albert Suarez turned in his best start of the season, giving the Birds 3 straight quality starts after going 8 games without one, and your first place Orioles are riding a 3-game winning streak and looking to take the series from Texas with Cade Povich on the mound this evening. Despite the recently success on the mound, do the O's still need pitching help? Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
Coming off a throttling of the Yankees, 17-5, on Thursday afternoon, the Orioles were riding high and ready to take on the struggling Astros with their young stud, Grayson Rodriguez, taking the bump. But that's why they play games, as Grayson was shelled for 7 runs in 5 innings and the Orioles found themselves trailing 14-3 entering the 7th. A strong offensive surge made the game interesting, but it was too little, too late as the O's lost, 14-11 in a game that magnified the team's need for another legitimate start and possibly two strong bullpen pieces. Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles lost a tough one last night, but the team has still won 16 of 22 heading into the final two games with the Phillies! But another injury to the pitching staff looms large over the ball club as Kyle Bradish exited the game Friday night after just 5 innings and 74 pitches, citing elbow soreness as the culprit. After his spring UCL sprain that caused him to miss the season's first 5 weeks, do the Orioles have a third starter headed for Tommy John Surgery? Ryan Blake is back to discuss that and more with Paul on The Bat Around!
The Orioles put together a complete effort in a 6-3 victory over the Rays, and the rest of the AL East lost so the Birds picked up ground on the Yankees while also gaining further separation from the rest of the pack! Plus, is the criticism of the team warranted? Zack Goodman is back to fill in for the soon-to-be-married Ryan Blake as he joins Paul to discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles had a rough start to the week as they saw their 106-series streak of not getting swept come to an end at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. But the team has rebounded to win the first two games of the 4 game series with the White Sox. Dillon Atkinson fills in for Ryan Blake to join Paul and discuss the state of the team and more on The Bat Around!
Don't call it a winning streak! The Orioles have won 3 straight Friday night affairs, walloping the Mariners last night, 9-2. John Means gave the team 6 strong innings, and the offense broke out in a major way, tallying 6 of 10 hits for extra bases. Plus, are the Orioles moving to a 6-man rotation? Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles are still scorching, having won 17 of their last 23 games since losing the first two against Milwaukee back in mid-April. The rotation has been dominant, none more so than Cole Irvin. Paul and Ryan break down a second consecutive Friday win, and discuss whether or not Heston Kjerstad is wasting away again in Hyde-aritaville. That and more on The Bat Around!
The Birds are flying high after taking 3 of 4 from the Yankees and securing the series-opening victory against the Reds in a rain-delayed pitcher's duel Friday night. Cole Irvin has notched 20.2 scoreless innings, leading the Orioles to 3 shutouts in his last 3 starts, and the bullpen has allowed just 1 run in their last 15.1 innings after last weekend's debacle against the A's. PressBox's own Luke Jackson fills in for the bachelor partying Ryan Blake to discuss that and more with Paul on The Bat Around!
The Orioles have been red-hot, but they did suffer a tough loss at the hands of the lowly Oakland Athletics Friday night, as Kimbrel struggled, the offense was offensive, and a fan-least-favorite returned and left his mark. Plus, Holliday out, McKenna...in? Paul & Ryan break it all down, and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles bullpen completely fell apart, wasting a solid Dean Kremer start, and the offense failed to get anything going until it was far too late. Despite that, the team has had a solid week and a solid start to the season. Paul and Ryan discuss that and more on The Bat Around!
The Orioles are ahead of last year's pace after a sweep of the Red Sox in Boston, but Friday night's 11-1 loss at the hands of the Brewers magnified the team's offensive woes, headline by top prospect Jackson Holliday's 0-11, 7 K start to his big league career. Paul and Ryan aren't panicking. Are you? The guys discuss that and more on The Bat Around!