This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BALTIMORE -- No team in the American League has won more games over the past two seasons than the Orioles, who have notched 192 victories during that span. Baltimore won the AL East in 2023, then captured the top AL Wild Card berth in ‘24.

However, both seasons had disappointing abrupt endings for the O’s. In 2023, they got swept in three games by the eventual World Series champion Rangers in the AL Division Series. In ‘24, they were swept in two games by the Royals in the AL Wild Card Series.

Has the lack of October success put more pressure on the Orioles heading into next season?

“I feel like you always put pressure on yourself,” manager Brandon Hyde said at last month’s Winter Meetings in Dallas. “Very disappointed in how the season ended, just like I was the year before. Whenever you don't reach your goal, it's disappointing.

“The pressure is more the internal of trying to take the next step and carry this group into a deeper run into the postseason.”

• Get Orioles tickets for the 2025 season

Now that 2025 has arrived, let’s look ahead to what the new year could bring for Baltimore.

One (realistic) free-agent target who would still be a perfect fit: LHP Tanner Scott
With Corbin Burnes joining the D-backs, the free-agent market for starting pitchers has dried up. The Orioles’ most likely route to acquiring an ace this offseason is by searching for a trade partner and swinging a deal similar to the one for Burnes that they pulled off with the Brewers last offseason. But Baltimore could still look to add a high-leverage arm to the back end of its bullpen mix via free agency.

One potential fit is the 30-year-old Scott, who would serve as a strong left-handed complement to the right-handed trio of closer Félix Bautista, Yennier Cano and Seranthony Domínguez. Scott began his big league career with the O’s, recording a 4.73 ERA over 170 appearances in five seasons from 2017-21. The southpaw has improved since then, earning an All-Star nod for the first time in ‘24, when he posted a 1.75 ERA in 72 games with the Marlins and Padres.

One player poised to have a breakout season: 2B/SS Jackson Holliday
Entering 2024, expectations were sky-high for Holliday, who began the season as MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect. He didn’t make Baltimore’s Opening Day roster, but he still made his big league debut on April 10 and went on to play 60 games as a 20-year-old during his rookie campaign.

Holliday struggled quite a bit, slashing .189/.255/.311 and recording 0.1 bWAR while hitting all five of his home runs during a 10-game stretch from July 31-Aug. 10. The final numbers weren’t impressive, though Holliday flashed his potential at times. He should take a big step forward in 2025, as the ‘22 No. 1 overall Draft pick has the tools to become a star player.

• Orioles see big things ahead for Holliday, Mayo

One prospect to watch in 2025: 3B/1B Coby Mayo
Like Holliday, Mayo’s first taste of the big leagues didn’t go nearly as well as expected in 2024. As a 22-year-old, the corner infielder played 17 games over two stints for the Orioles and went 4-for-41 (.098) with no extra-base hits. Because of that, Mayo isn’t guaranteed a spot on Baltimore's Opening Day roster in ‘25, and he could begin at Triple-A Norfolk due to a crowded infield mix.

But Mayo (the O’s No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 overall) should get back to the big leagues at some point this year, and his potent right-handed bat will likely start to produce as the 2020 fourth-round Draft pick gets more comfortable in the Majors. It should only help Mayo that the left-field wall at Camden Yards is being brought back in closer to the ballpark’s original dimensions.

One prediction for the new year: The O’s end their postseason winless streak
The Orioles should plug the rest of their roster holes this offseason, putting themselves in a spot to again be among the AL’s top teams in 2025. It will help that their young position-player core -- featuring catcher Adley Rutschman, shortstop Gunnar Henderson, infielder Jordan Westburg, outfielder Colton Cowser and more -- will have had another year of MLB experience.

There’s too much talent on Baltimore’s roster for this team to continue to get bounced from the postseason without winning a game every year. The O’s will take the next step and be a legitimate World Series contender next season, especially if they keep improving their pitching staff along the way, as they aim to end a 10-game postseason losing streak that dates back to the 2014 ALCS.