Something had to change for the Baltimore Orioles.
They are set to enter play on Saturday with a 15-28 record, which is tied for the third-worst in Major League Baseball and a mark that is completely unacceptable based on the preseason expectations and amount of talented players on this roster.
For whatever reason, the offense has not been able to get timely hits.
This comes after there were coaching changes following the 2024 campaign in an effort to revamp things that would help this group become more consistent at the plate.
Instead, this is the worst the Orioles have looked in the past three years.
So, coming off another head-shaking loss on Friday, Baltimore made the decision to fire manager Brandon Hyde after seven seasons in charge.
This is the right decision.
There was no way the Orioles could keep things the same after the way this year began, especially when there was little accountability for what was taking place.
Hyde did a good job getting Baltimore to this stage, being patient throughout the rebuild and allowing the star players to reach this stage of their careers.
But at a certain point, expectations go up, and Hyde was not able to meet them.
Despite the success that was had in 2023 during the regular season, getting swept in the Division Series was a surprising result. While that was attributed to youth at the time, getting swept again the following year created a source of frustration.
And after beginning the season in this manner, it was time for a change.
That’s not to say Hyde is the sole reason for this disastrous campaign.
General manager Mike Elias is not without blame based on the poor roster construction he put together. Injuries haven’t helped, either.
However, something needed to be done now, and moving on from the person leading the clubhouse was the easy decision to make.
Will this spark a turnaround for the Orioles?
Perhaps.
There have been tons of examples where teams get a boost following a managerial change, and based on how poorly Baltimore has performed to date, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them to get back to the level they have shown in the past.
Whether that happens or not will be seen.
But moving on from Hyde was the first step towards making that come to fruition.
