Amid struggles against lefties, Orioles face huge challenge in Gore

WASHINGTON – Roughly 10 percent of the population is left-handed, according to Norgen Biotek. Lefties, though, make up a much larger percentage of pitchers in Major League Baseball. And in 2025, the Orioles have faced a left-handed starter in over 30 percent of their first 23 games.

Tonight, the Birds face another, as the Nationals roll out one of the best young lefties in the game, MacKenzie Gore.

In the seven games that the O’s have faced a lefty starter to begin 2025, Baltimore is just 1-6.

Gore, the former elite prospect, ranks in the 70th percentile or better in expected ERA, expected batting average, fastball velocity, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage and walk percentage this season.

In fact, he is in the 93rd percentile in whiff rate and leads Major League Baseball with 14 strikeouts per nine innings.

To put it lightly, that’s a tall task for an Orioles lineup that hasn’t hit lefties well this year.

Among O’s with at least 10 at-bats against left-handed pitching, only one has a batting average above .250: left-hander Cedric Mullins, who has hit just .228 against lefties in his career and feels likely to come back to Earth.

What the Orioles really need is for their right-handed sluggers to step up with a lefty on the mound. To start the year, they haven’t.

Tyler O’Neill was signed in large part due to his prowess hitting southpaws. In his career, the former Cardinal and Red Sox outfielder has an OPS close to .900 against lefties. In 2025, he has just two hits in 21 at-bats, both singles.

“I need to do a better job in the middle of the order, against lefties, specifically,” O’Neill said after Tuesday’s loss with lefty Mitchell Parker on the mound. “It’s something I’m working on. Work in progress, just like everything else and hopefully show up better tomorrow.

What is he hoping to improve?

“Obviously, I want to drive the ball and play as best I can and to my capability," he said. "I obviously want to make more contact, I want to get on base more, I want to draw more walks. It’s just the way things are going right now.”

So pretty much everything.

While O’Neill is shouldering much of the burden, he's far from the only one to blame for the O’s left-handed struggles. Plus, he isn’t in the lineup tonight against Gore, dealing with the same neck issue that has kept him out of the lineup recently, according to manager Brandon Hyde.

The skipper is “hopeful that he’ll be available off the bench tonight.”

Also not in the lineup is Ramón Urías, who actually has four hits in his nine at-bats against lefties, leading the team in batting average among players with at least a handful of plate appearances against southpaws. 

Tonight, the O’s turn to other right-handers Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg, Jorge Mateo and Ramón Laureano, plus the switch-hitting Adley Rutschman to lead the way. 

Mountcastle has the highest batting average and OPS against lefties among that group, at .250 and .618, respectively. Westburg is the only other righty, outside of Mountcastle and Urías, hitting above .200 with a left-hander on the mound.

It’s fair to assume that this entire group will put up better numbers against left-handed pitching at some point this season, as their 2025 numbers are all far below their career splits.

In Mateo’s instance, Hyde is using that past success to help pick spots to get him in the lineup.

“I don’t want guys to just feel stale on the bench,” Hyde said. “I don’t want guys to just feel stale on the bench. … Jorge’s had good numbers against left-handed pitchers the last couple of years, so I want to give him the opportunity.”

But as we currently stand, it’s a collective struggle that Baltimore hasn’t been able to withstand.

Hyde notes, however, that it’s a small sample size.

“The front office signed some players to help us against left-handed pitching this year,” Hyde said. “It’s been a little bit of a slow start for us. If you go on track record, Laureano has hit lefties well, Mateo has hit lefties well, Gary Sánchez, Tyler O’Neill last year. Banged against lefties. This year, we’ve just been off to a slow start against lefties.”

Small sample or not, the results haven’t been there yet. They’ll need to be tonight to avoid a sweep.

“We’re due,” Hyde said. “We’re due to get some hits. It’s a good lefty … tough on right, tough on left. But I want to believe our guys are gonna have a good approach tonight. I think they’re ready. And I think we’re due to have a good game against a left-handed starter.”

Breadcrumbs from the skipper 

When asked about Charlie Morton’s start on Saturday, Hyde noted that options are “a little limited right now. He’s got a lot of years in this league, and we’re going to give him another start.”

Kyle Gibson may get another start in the minors or he may not. Hyde said that the club is “still evaluating that right now.”