The smartest warning to be issued for the 2025 season was to expect the unexpected from the Orioles.

They weren’t supposed to land in last place or fire manager Brandon Hyde, let alone in May. They weren’t supposed to tie the Marlins for most players used with 70 or post a run differential of minus-98. They weren't supposed to use the injured list 39 times with 29 different players.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg that they crashed into this year.

The season will go on … until Sunday’s finale in the Bronx. Near, far, wherever they are, it’s one for the books. They can’t wait to close it and regroup for 2026.

Did you ever imagine that …

… Jackson Holliday would lead the team in home runs?

He’s clinging to first place with 17, followed by Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser with 16.

Holliday can become the second Orioles second baseman to lead the team in homers after Bobby Grich in 1974.

The trade deadline cleared a path, with Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano sent to the Padres, but Holliday wasn’t the undisputed favorite. He’s stayed healthy, which in itself is a monumental achievement, and his aim-for-the-alleys approach at the plate enable him to drop a few balls into the bullpen.

It also helped that others on the team underachieved.

… that the Orioles would pay $8.5 million for catcher Gary Sánchez and get 30 games out of him?

Sánchez played in 29 and pitched in one. We’ll call it 30.

What’s important here is that wrist and knee injuries removed Sánchez from the roster and had the Orioles scrambling for healthy catchers. They used seven to break the franchise record. And we’re not counting taxi squad catcher David Bañuelos, who appeared in one game at designated hitter.

The 2022 Pirates are the last team to use eight. The Orioles won’t get there, but they made a spirited run.

Sánchez was on another injury rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk and the Orioles declined to reinstate him, factoring in roster construction. Alex Jackson is out of minor league options and they might want to hold onto him as a possible third catcher next season.

… that Alex Jackson would have this kind of value?

The Orioles acquired Jackson from the Yankees on July 8 in exchange for international bonus pool space and a player to be named later or cash considerations. They put Sánchez on the injured list, the fourth catcher to be sidelined since June 21.

Jackson isn’t tearing the cover off the ball but he’s got eight doubles and five home runs among his 20 hits, and his 0.7 bWAR is the highest of his career. He’s thrown out seven of 23 runners attempting to steal, above league average.

There’s a good chance that the Orioles carry three catchers next season in order to give Samuel Basallo starts at first base and designated hitter, and to use Adley Rutschman at DH with Basallo catching and not risk having the pitcher bat. Jackson could be that guy.

… that the shoulder would bring down Félix Bautista?

Everyone was focused on his comeback from Tommy John surgery. How the elbow would respond with an increased workload. The dip in velocity and whether he’d get it back to triple digits.

Bautista recorded 19 saves in 20 chances, posted a 2.60 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings over 35 appearances and couldn’t pitch after July 20.

Bautista got the save in Tampa but allowed a run on one hit and three walks, and he threw 34 pitches. He phoned the dugout on July 23 in Cleveland to pass along that he wasn’t available.

Inflammation in the shoulder led to a surgical procedure to repair the labrum and rotator cuff, and Bautista could miss the entire 2026 season after sitting out 2024.

The elbow, it appears, is fine.

… that Keegan Akin would be the primary closer?

The Orioles never gave him that title, but if it quacks like a duck …

Akin has recorded eight of the 19 saves that don’t belong to Bautista. Bryan Baker, Yennier Cano, Seranthony Domínguez, Dietrich Enns and Corbin Martin have two each and Gregory Soto has one. Only Cano and Enns are on the current roster. Baker, Domínguez and Soto aren’t in the organization.

Availability and matchups will keep factoring into interim manager Tony Mansolino’s decisions, which is why Akin doesn’t have his own light show and hype video, but he’s often the first choice.

… that Tyler O’Neill’s home run total would drop from 31 to eight?

O’Neill homered on Opening Day for the sixth year in a row to extend his major league record.

“I guess it’s going to happen,” Holliday said afterward. “I mean, the odds are pretty good.”

“Oh, I mean, I saw it,” Rutschman said. “Everyone kind of knew.”

O’Neill’s second home run also came against the Blue Jays and he went deep in four consecutive games from July 25-29. That raised his total to seven, but he returned to the injured list for a third time after swatting his eighth on Aug. 4 and missed about five weeks.

Health issues have nagged O’Neill in the past, but last night’s game was only his 50^th, tying the 2020 COVID season for his lowest total. He couldn’t get on a roll or maintain one, and the power numbers plummeted.

… that a season promised to feature lots of Heston Kjerstad ended this way?

Kjerstad hit .192/.240/.327 in 54 games, struggled in right field and was optioned on June 10.

A reset for the former second-overall draft pick turned into much more.

The Oriole set up a specific plan for Kjerstad, but he went on the seven-day injured list Aug. 6 with fatigue. He hadn’t played since July 25.  

“What we didn’t want to do was just say, ‘Hey, go get ’em.’ That’s obviously not the right message when a guy as talented as Hest struggles here,” Mansolino said on the day that Kjerstad was optioned.

“As good as this kid is (and) can be, there’s something that we’re missing, right?”

The season was supposed to provide his best chance to stick and to shine. At-bats were going to be plentiful, we were told in spring training. It just didn’t work out that way.

The club hasn’t provided any updates on Kjerstad, but the subject will come up again at Mike Elias’ season-ending press conference.

… that Trevor Rogers would be named Most Valuable Oriole?

Anyone claiming to have predicted it back in March would fail a lie detector test.

Rogers had a 7.11 ERA in four starts last summer after the deadline trade with the Marlins, and he reported to camp with a knee injury. Catching breaks wasn’t his thing.

His 6 2/3 scoreless innings with two hits allowed at Fenway Park in Game 2 of a doubleheader offered a glimmer of hope, but that sample size could be seen only under a microscope. What would he do in his next opportunity? And the ones after that?

Forgive the skepticism. He'd understand.

You know the rest. He’s 9-2 with a 1.35 ERA, 0.872 WHIP, .178 opponents’ average and 6.0 bWAR, the lowest ERA in Orioles history among pitchers in their first 17 starts. He’s joining Hall of Fame names in certain categories. The turnaround is a testament to the Orioles’ pitching instruction, mental skills work and his own commitment.

… that Mansolino would receive a vote for MVO?

Mansolino has done nice work in an uncomfortable spot, replacing friend Brandon Hyde and managing in the majors for the first time. He had a lot thrown at him under extremely difficult circumstances and his record is above .500. Players like and respect him.

That said, this is their award. It says so on the ballot. Vote for three players.

The woman who works the A lot gate is super nice and seems really good at her job. She gets my vote next year.

… that Dylan Carlson would receive a vote for MVO?

Carlson is batting .205/.277/.340 with a minus-0.9 bWAR in 81 games.

This isn’t a knock on Carlson, who has contributed at times and is a good defender. He ran down Jasson Domínguez’s fly ball in deep left-center Sunday that enabled Kyle Bradish to finish the sixth inning. It was an outstanding play, and he’s had plenty of them.

Teams can use an extra outfielder like him, especially with his minor league options providing flexibility.

It’s a commentary on the media member who put him on a three-man ballot.

We need transparency in voting like they do with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Come forward and explain your thinking. Maybe we can be swayed.