We asked readers if the Orioles, who enter Thursday 27-39, will compete for a playoff spot this season.

Here are the results from our online poll:

• No, they’re too far back — 55% (164 votes)
• Yes, I’m not giving up yet — 27% (81 votes)
• Maybe, it’s too early to tell — 17% (51 votes)

Here’s what some fans have told us about the team’s outlook (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar):

No way we’re making the playoffs. But, they are playing better and that is all we can hope for this year. Just put a competitive team on the field each day. Stop those errors and base running blunders for Pete’s sake! Forget the almost year of poor play. I also have a saying, “In Elias We Trust.” I still feel that way. I think he’s running the team just right. OK, so some of his acquisitions haven’t exactly worked out. But some have. And I don’t think we want to spend $200 million on some ace pitcher and not be able to afford the rest of the team. I don’t want to win the World Series and then be rebuilding a couple of years later. Why not put a team out there every year that is in contention? That would be more fun long term. — Herb Hopkins 

With starters still dropping like flies with injuries and with lousy pitching, there’s no chance of making the playoffs. Enjoy selling your tickets to out-of-town fans people. Elias is history after this season. — Robert

I don’t care about the playoffs. The Orioles have almost a hundred games left in the season and I want see hitting with runners in scoring position, better fielding, smarter base running and fewer implosions on the mound. They are a lot less fun to watch since the last week of June in 2024. How about re-signing the veterans who are playing well rather than trading them for prospects who may or may not contribute in the future? — Ed Dolbow

Nope. They are too far back. At the end of April, the word was how easy the schedule was in May. How did that work out? Now we’re getting to a more significant part of the schedule, and the returns of Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins will be welcome. But does anyone really think the returns of Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sánchez will make a difference? O’Neill is only one swing away from another trip to the injured list, and Sánchez cannot hit his weight. Improved pitching is a positive, but losing two of three to the A’s is an embarrassment. — Bob K.

The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll