Rogers rolls into O's record books in remarkable comeback year

NEW YORK -- It took until Trevor Rogers’ 18th and final start of the season for the 27-year-old left-hander to have an outing in which he allowed more than three runs. Until Friday night -- when he gave up six runs in three innings during the Orioles’ 8-4 loss at Yankee Stadium -- the southpaw had been incredibly tough on opponents for more than three months.

Not bad to make it to late September before having a true clunker, right?

“That’s a great way of looking at it,” Rogers said. “I’ve come a long way in this organization, and I’ve said it a thousand times, very thankful for everything that happened.”

Rogers went from being traded by the Marlins to the Orioles at the 2024 Trade Deadline, to posting a 7.11 ERA in four starts for Baltimore last year, to being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, to opening this season on the injured list because of a right knee subluxation, to returning to Triple-A before getting an opportunity to rejoin the O’s rotation full-time in mid-June.

The comeback story was easily the highlight of a tough year for the Orioles (75-85).

Here’s a breakdown of Rogers’ resurgent season by the numbers:

1.81 ERA
Of all the impressive stats compiled by Rogers in 2025, this one tops the list -- and the mark was even better before Friday, as his ERA jumped from 1.35 to 1.81 during his final start.

Rogers’ ERA is the best in a season for a pitcher who logged at least 100 innings in Orioles history (since 1954). The previous mark was held by Stu Miller, who had a 1.89 ERA in 119 1/3 innings over 67 relief appearances in 1965.

Only two full-time O’s starting pitchers have recorded a sub-2.00 ERA in a season in which they made at least 18 starts -- Rogers (109 2/3 innings) and left-hander Dave McNally, who had a 1.95 ERA in 273 innings over 35 starts in 1968. McNally became the first southpaw to win the Most Valuable Oriole Award, an honor that went to Rogers this year, joining an exclusive club of lefties to earn it that also features Mike Cuellar (1974) and Randy Myers (1997).

0.90 WHIP
The only other Baltimore pitcher to record a WHIP that low while tossing at least 100 innings? Also McNally, who had a 0.84 WHIP during his remarkable 1968 campaign.

“He’s been a front-of-the-rotation ace for us throughout the year,” said outfielder Tyler O'Neill, who homered Friday night. “Awesome to see a guy like that being able to bounce back from injury and able to contribute to the caliber that he’s been doing. It’s very impressive.”

Fifteen consecutive starts with two or fewer runs allowed
This was a streak that began June 23, when Rogers tossed eight scoreless innings against the Rangers. It didn’t end until Friday.

Not only was it the longest such streak of Rogers’ six-year career, but it was the longest by an Orioles starter in team history (since 1954). He was also the first AL/NL starter (excluding openers) to have a run that long in the same season since Félix Hernández had 19 starts in a row with two or fewer runs allowed for the Mariners in 2014.

“A really good story in a season full of maybe not some of the best stories at certain times,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “He was definitely a guy for us that we could rally around, and he was a player for the city of Baltimore that they could rally around in a lot of ways.”

Six home runs allowed
The number doubled Friday because of two Yankees sluggers -- Giancarlo Stanton (who went deep twice) and Aaron Judge. Prior to that, the only batters to homer off Rogers this year had been Texas’ Marcus Semien (June 30), Tampa Bay’s Danny Jansen (July 20) and San Francisco’s Willy Adames (Aug. 30).

Still, Rogers’ six home runs allowed were the fewest by an O’s pitcher who logged at least 100 innings since Bob Reynolds gave up three in 111 innings in 1973.

To 2026 …
Perhaps the best part of Rogers’ 2025 season for the Orioles? The fact that he’ll be back in '26 to help anchor the front half of a rotation alongside right-hander Kyle Bradish.

“It’s hard to describe, because just the way his story was when he got traded over here to then being able to put up a season like this, that's just hats off to him and just the mental strength that he has to be able to go out there and do that,” shortstop Gunnar Henderson said. “I look forward to him being back here next year and just continuing this, because he's a dog.”