The uncertainties over the Orioles’ roster for 2025 include how they intend to use Heston Kjerstad. Will he receive an opportunity to play every day, no matter the matchup, and how many starts will he get in the outfield?

Some stability would be a nice advancement for the second-overall draft pick in 2020.

Kjerstad was optioned multiple times and had multiple stints on the concussion injured list. He totaled 39 games and 114 plate appearances, batting .253/.351/.394, and made his second playoff roster.

It’s hard to label Kjerstad’s usage as a platoon because he didn’t play regularly, but he had only 16 at-bats against left-handers and collected six hits.

Manager Brandon Hyde was asked at his season-ending media session about platooning some of the younger hitters.

PLAYER REVIEW: ANDRÉS CHAPARRO

Age on Opening Day 2025: 25

How acquired: Traded from Diamondbacks for Dylan Floro, July 2024

MLB service time: 49 days

2024 salary: $740,000

The Orioles and MASN today announced the promotion of GREG BADER to Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN). Bader will immediately begin the transition from his current role as Orioles Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer to the role with MASN, with a complete transition effective January 1. He will report to CATIE GRIGGS, Orioles President, Business Operations.

Bader served as EVP and COO since September of 2023, overseeing all day-to-day business needs of the club, including Revenue, Operations, Orioles Entertainment, and Broadcasting. Bader will build upon his industry expertise to oversee both the Orioles and Washington Nationals day-to-day coverage and business needs with MASN. A Baltimore native, Bader first joined the Orioles as a public relations intern in 1994 and has served in multiple roles over the last three decades, including Director of Communications, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, and Senior Vice President, Administration & Experience. 

“Greg has an unparalleled level of expertise of both baseball administration and the sports industry overall which I’m confident will allow him to seamlessly transition into the role with MASN. I look forward to continuing to work alongside him for years to come,” shared Griggs.

“It’s been an honor to have devoted my professional career to the Orioles and Major League Baseball, and I am equally honored to begin this new role with MASN,” said Bader. “Like millions of baseball fans throughout the Mid-Atlantic, I have welcomed MASN into my home for the past twenty seasons, and I am thrilled to now play a role in working to enhance that experience as the network continues to bring unmatched coverage of two great teams to two incredible baseball communities.”

About MASN
The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) is a regional sports network and multimedia platform that televises every available game of both the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, pre- and postgame shows, and NCAA Division I men’s and women’s sports, totaling more than 500 live events annually. The network is available in a seven-state region, from Harrisburg, Pa., to Charlotte, N.C., on more than 20 cable and fiber optic providers, and is televised nationally via satellite provider DirecTV. MASN’s digital home – masnsports.com – features news and sports content and offers in-market streaming of both O’s and Nats games. MASN has won more than 100 Emmy and Addy awards for broadcast and marketing excellence.

PLAYER REVIEW: JUAN YEPEZ

Age on Opening Day 2025: 27

How acquired: Signed as minor league free agent, December 2023

MLB service time: 1 year, 105 days

2024 salary: $740,000

When the Orioles swapped out pitchers late in the regular season to cover innings and allow manager Brandon Hyde to set up his bullpen for the postseason, they selected left-hander Tucker Davidson’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk, designated him for assignment a day later and recalled Colin Selby. When they set their Wild Card roster, they kept Selby and Cade Povich over Matt Bowman and Albert Suárez.

Left-hander Trevor Rogers didn’t get another chance with the Orioles.

He gets a fresh start next spring training. He needs it.

Rogers was optioned on Aug. 22, less than a month after the Orioles acquired him from the Marlins at the deadline for infielder Connor Norby and outfielder Kyle Stowers. He went 0-2 with a 7.11 ERA and 1.842 WHIP in four games and didn’t last more than five innings in any start.

Five appearances with Triple-A Norfolk produced a 5.65 ERA and 1.221 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings, but he strung together three quality starts in a row after allowing 10 runs in 4 1/3 innings in his Tides debut. It’s hard to bring down your numbers after that disaster.

PLAYER REVIEW: DYLAN CREWS

Age on Opening Day 2025: 23

How acquired: First-round pick, 2023 Draft

MLB service time: 35 days

2024 salary: $740,000

PLAYER REVIEW: JACOB YOUNG

Age on Opening Day 2025: 25

How acquired: Seventh-round pick, 2021 Draft

MLB service time: 1 year, 37 days

2024 salary: $740,000

PLAYER REVIEW: JAMES WOOD

Age on Opening Day 2025: 22

How acquired: Traded with CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit from Padres for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, August 2022

MLB service time: 91 days

2024 salary: $740,000

We've been doing these Opening Day media predictions for 15 years now, and I'm always grateful to my colleagues on the Nationals beat for their willingness to participate and subject themselves to the inevitable ridicule that follows.

And there's definitely some ridicule to be doled out as we look back at our 2024 predictions. (Hey, I'm just as guilty as anyone!) A lot of things did not play out this season as any of us thought they would back in late March. But we weren't completely wrong on every category. There actually were several spot-on predictions by several members of the beat, and they deserve credit for being right.

And with that, it's time for some accountability. Here's a look back at all of our Opening Day predictions, what we got right and what we did not get right ...

WHICH NATIONALS WILL BE SELECTED FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME?
Bobby Blanco (MASNsports.com) – CJ Abrams
Jessica Camerato (MLB.com) – CJ Abrams
Craig Heist (106.7 The Fan) – Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz
Chelsea Janes (Washington Post) – CJ Abrams
Andrew Golden (Washington Post) – MacKenzie Gore
Bill Ladson (MLB.com honorary) – Josiah Gray, Jake Irvin
Spencer Nusbaum (Washington Post) – MacKenzie Gore
Mark Zuckerman (MASNsports.com) – Kyle Finnegan

Correct answer: CJ Abrams was set to be the Nationals’ lone All-Star this year, the first selection of his career, after his outstanding first half. Then on the day before the Midsummer Classic, Kyle Finnegan was added to the National League roster to replace Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, giving the Nats two All-Stars.

Here is the thing about baseball: It can indeed break your heart. And in a sport that takes six months to play 162 games and can seem never-ending, the actual playoff ending can take about 24 to 48 hours.

All those games, all those ups and downs, all those emotions, then it's over in a blink.

And a whimper for the Orioles scoring just one run.

Mike Elias indicated Thursday he doesn’t want to make any knee-jerk reactions to the season and that is prudent.

The fanbase, on the other hand, or segments of such, are providing us an overwhelming amount of knee-jerk reactions. Someone must pay for this!

Go back and peruse some random Nationals lineups from 2022, and you’re likely to find a lot of names who aren’t here anymore, many of them veterans in the waning days of their careers.

Move ahead to 2023, and you’ll find a few more promising young players, the so-called first wave of prospects who either were acquired via trade or drafted and developed from within. You’ll also still find a number of veteran stopgaps who have since departed.

The same was actually true early in 2024. Lest anyone forget, the Nats’ Opening Day lineup included the likes of Jesse Winker, Joey Meneses, Joey Gallo and Eddie Rosario, with Nick Senzel a planned part of that group until he fractured his thumb in pregame warmups.

By season’s end, though, the transformation was finally complete. The Nationals’ regular lineup was built almost entirely with young players, most of them at least potential long-term solutions.

James Wood, Dylan Crews and Jacob Young didn’t make the team out of spring training, but they were everyday players by Game 162. Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz weren’t in the Opening Day rotation, but they were trusted stalwarts before long.

The music didn't play. The reflections from the disco lights didn't bounce off the walls and ceiling. The Orioles sat in silence at their lockers or circled the room and hugged, failing to repeat as division champions and now mimicking last year’s morose elimination setting.

The losing streak in the playoffs has reached 10 games. Any chance to snap it must wait until 2025.

The Royals broke a tie in the sixth inning on Bobby Witt Jr.’s infield single with two outs that scored Kyle Isbel, and the Orioles lost 2-1 in a do-or-die Game 2 of the Wild Card series before an announced crowd of 38,698 at Camden Yards.

That’s it. Being all-in with the winter trade for Corbin Burnes and talking about avenging last year’s ouster in the Division Series in Texas led to another sweep. Too many injuries and too little offense.

And now, a lot of time to think about it.

It feels a bit like ancient history at this point, but it’s worth remembering the Nationals were consistently one of baseball’s highest-spending clubs for nearly a decade. For nine consecutive seasons from 2013-21, their year-end payroll ranked among the top 10 in the majors, peaking in 2019 at more than $205 million (fourth-highest in the sport).

That all changed in July 2021 when the franchise tore down its aging roster and embarked on a rebuild that continues to this day. The Nats ranked 18th in year-end payroll in 2022, 22nd in 2023 and 24th this season, according to figures calculated by Spotrac.

The organization’s approach to the last three offseasons was clear: The major league roster would be filled with short-term solutions while everyone waited for a revamped farm system to start producing the next wave of big leaguers. The Nationals spent a total of $22.25 million on major league free agents prior to the 2022 season, another $22.25 million entering 2023 and only $9.25 million entering this season. Only one player signed a guaranteed multi-year contract: Trevor Williams (two years, $13 million).

While frustrating to many, and subject to plenty of criticism, the approach was grounded in some actual baseball logic: It made little sense to spend big money on free agents until enough prospects made it to the big leagues and the team was ready to actually “go for it” again.

That logic was justified each of the last three winters. It’s not justified this time around.

The Orioles have lost yet another close postseason game to the Kansas City Royals. Swept four straight in the 2014 American League Championship Series by six total runs, they lost a pair of one-run games to K.C. in this AL Wild Card round.

They lose 2-1 today and scored just one run in the series. The Royals advance to play the No. 1 seed Yankees in a series that begins on Saturday in the Bronx. 

The Orioles are now 0-6 all-time in the playoffs versus the Royals by eight total runs.

After a 91-71 regular season and a second-place AL East finish, the season ends again in early October.

The O’s have lost 10 straight in the postseason.

Facing a win or go home, the season's over scenario, the Orioles host the Kansas City Royals today in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card round series at Oriole Park. 

There were just 10 hits yesterday as Kansas City pushed across a sixth-inning run to beat the Orioles 1-0, who now have a nine-game postseason losing streak.

Bobby Witt Jr. singled in the only run as Kansas City moved to within one win of advancing to the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees.

The Orioles, who scored 22 runs in sweeping Minnesota over the weekend and 56 runs in their last 10 regular-season games, were shut out. It was their fourth shutout over the last 20 games since Sept. 8.

O's right-hander Corbin Burnes went eight-innings plus one batter allowing five hits and one run on 84 pitches. Burnes, who has never thrown a complete game came close yesterday. His career-long outing was 8 1/3 innings on July 18, 2021 for Milwaukee at Cincinnati.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde took a temperature check of his team this morning. He walked in the clubhouse and the weight room. No one seemed to be sweating yesterday’s loss that pushed them to the brink of elimination in the Wild Card round.

“I think it's totally business as usual,” Hyde said.

“I think guys are in great spirits and ready to get after it today.”

They must or there’s no tomorrow.

“I have all the faith in the world in this team,” said Colton Cowser. “I think yesterday it was just one of those days. I think our guys, we're really confident, really comfortable, and we're looking forward to bouncing back.”

If the Orioles reach the Division Series, Game 1 would be played Saturday at 6:38 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. Game 2 would be played Monday at 7:38 p.m.

They need to get there first, and a loss today destroys that goal.

Colton Cowser is the cleanup hitter this afternoon, Adley Rutschman is catching and Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter.

Zach Eflin pitched for the Rays in Kansas City on July 4 and allowed five earned runs and six total in five innings. He owns a 5.09 ERA in four career starts against them totaling 23 innings.

Eflin tossed a complete-game shutout against the Royals on May 11, 2019 with the Phillies.

If the Nationals want to point to only one clearly positive development from their just-completed season, the answer is simple: Improved pitching, especially in the rotation, especially from a group of young starters.

MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz may not have been dominant – though all exhibited moments of dominance along the way – but collectively they made 113 starts, pitched effectively (4.20 ERA, 1.297 WHIP) and established their place in the club’s 2025 plans.

“The biggest thing is obviously our young pitching,” manager Davey Martinez said last weekend. “Seeing some of these guys come up who we thought wouldn’t be here yet doing what they’ve done, they’ve done really well.”

Indeed, only Gore and Irvin were part of the Opening Day rotation. The three other slots went to designated No. 1 starter Josiah Gray and veterans Patrick Corbin and Trevor Williams. Gray made only two starts before going on the injured list with an elbow issue that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. Corbin made his usual 32 starts with his usual inflated ERA. Williams enjoyed a major turnaround from the previous year but still missed 3 1/2 months with a flexor strain.

So the unexpected positive developments involved Parker and Herz, a couple of rookie left-handers who figured to get a shot at some point later in the season but wound up in D.C. much earlier than expected and then held onto their jobs once they arrived.

Corbin Burnes threw his last warmup pitch, stepped off the mound, turned his back to home plate and settled into a crouch before his catcher could do it. With his head lowered, he chose a crowded venue to hold a private moment.

Burnes finally stood, faced home plate and owned it again.

This is why the Orioles traded for him. To start on Opening Day and in Game 1 of a playoff series, in this instance the Wild Card round. To be that guy. But he can’t score runs for himself.

Bobby Witt Jr. singled with two outs in the sixth inning to produce the first lead of the day, and the Orioles were silenced by Cole Ragans and three relievers in a deflating 1-0 loss today before an announced crowd of 41,506 at Camden Yards.

The playoff losing streak has reached nine games dating back to the Royals’ sweep in the 2014 Championship Series. They need to win Wednesday afternoon with Zach Eflin starting or be shut down again.

It was the pitcher’s duel that many expected. It was a game where one run was scored and today the visitors got it.

The Orioles' playoff losing streak, dating to 2014, reached nine today as they lost 1-0 to Kansas City on Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI single in the top of the sixth.

O’s starter Corbin Burnes, who allowed one run over eight innings plus, was outstanding today, just as he was late in the year.

But now the Orioles have to win two straight games to advance out of this Wild Card round.

Some quick thoughts on Game 1: