Shane Baz has found his new home for the foreseeable future, signing a five-year extension with the Baltimore Orioles. He will be paid $68 million over the contract term, which comes to around $13.6 million annually. Baz was acquired by the O’s back in December in a move that sent four prospects and a pick back to the Tampa Bay Rays. It is the largest contract that Baltimore has ever given to a pitcher.
Baz was the Orioles’ big move to help fix their starting rotation, which was one of the worst in baseball last season. Among the 10 starting pitchers, the staff had an ERA of 5.56 and a WHIP of 1.429. Trevor Rogers was the only starter to start more than 10 games and have an ERA under four. These struggles were the main reason the Orioles finished last in the AL East last season. But can Baz help turn the rotation around?Â
Can Shane Baz solve the Orioles starting pitching woes?Â
Baz is coming off a rather shaky 2025. Over 166 1/3 innings, he pitched to a 4.87 ERA with 176 strikeouts to 64 walks, a 1.335 WHIP, and an 85 ERA+. While these stats were not great, Baz made 31 starts, the most he has ever made in a season. It was the first time that Baz had made it through a full season healthy. When he is on the mound, he has found some success. In 286 career innings, he has pitched to a 4.25 ERA with 293 strikeouts to 103 walks, a 1.227 WHIP, and a 96 ERA+.
But the biggest concern around Baz has been his ability to stay on the field. As mentioned before, 2025 saw Baz make the most starts in a season. In his previous three seasons, Baz made only 23 starts. The big reason for the multiple injuries Baz has suffered, the biggest of which was Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss the entire 2023 season. Taking on a pitcher like this is very risky. You’re gambling that the injuries are behind him and won’t continue to plague his career.
But if Baz is able to figure out a way to stay healthy, he can become the frontline starter the Orioles desperately need. While the stats do not show it, his pitches are some of the best in baseball. According to Baseball Savant, back in 2024, he had an offspeed run value in the 89th percentile and a fastball run value in the 62nd percentile. Plus, in 2025, his fastball velocity ranked in the 88th percentile. His five-pitch arsenal has been effective at getting batters out.
This is a very promising sign for him. While he needs to back this up with stats, it’s clear that he has the stuff to be a dominant pitcher. That his struggles and less-than-ideal numbers have more to do with injuries and other factors rather than his pitches not being good enough. If he can stay on the mound consistently and get a few quality starts, it can boost his confidence. This will help him find a rhythm and start to live up to his potential of being an ace.
Although this is a gamble, the rewards outweigh the risks. The Orioles could be getting the ace they have needed, and could help them get back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2024 season.
