The Baltimore Orioles have called up top prospect Adley Rutschman. He made his major league debut in front of the Orioles fans on Saturday. He tripled in his second at-bat of the day. Their overall top prospect hopes to be the team’s catcher for the next decade and lead an Orioles staff that has some top pitching prospects ready to showcase their talent in MLB very soon.
College Career
In the 2018 college season, Rutschman batted .408 with nine home runs and 83 RBI, helping lead Oregon State in the 2018 College World Series, He collected a College-World-Series record 17 hits along with 13 RBI. He was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. Rutschman followed that up in the 2019 college season with a .411 average. He had 17 home runs and 58 RBI. That year he was named the 2019 Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year.
MLB Draft and Assigned to Gulf Coast
The Orioles made him the first overall selection in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. After signing an $8.1 million bonus, Rutschman made his debut with the Gulf Coast League Orioles. After only five games, he moved on to Aberdeen of the High A Rookie League and after less than a month he was promoted to the South Atlantic League. Due to the pandemic, he did not play in 2020.
2021 Season
Rutschman started the 2021 season in Double-A. He played in the Futures Game and was hitting .271 with 18 home runs and 55 RBI when he was promoted to Triple-A Norfolk. He finished the season hitting .312 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 43 games.
2022 Spring Training
He was invited to Spring Training for 2022, but was not expected to make the team. He was given a chance to showcase his switch-hitting and durability behind the plate. While competing, he sustained an injury to his triceps playing in an intrasquad game. He was then shut down for two weeks and then was assigned to both Single-A and Double-A for rehab assignments. He was with Triple-A Norfolk when he was called up.
Top Catching Prospect
The Baltimore Orioles’ promotion of Adley Rutschman means that they are getting one of baseball’s best catching prospects in several years. He has the potential to be both an offensive and defensive threat. Also, being a switch hitter will only help him stay in the lineup almost every game. Scouts have suggested his awareness and control of his bat makes him a great hitter for both average and power.
In addition to a potent bat, his defense behind the plate and calling pitches show he has the determination to be an elite catcher for years to come. He has shown Gold Glove-type defense in the minors and has thrown out 31 percent of potential base stealers.
Outlook
The Baltimore Orioles called up top prospect Adley Rutschman. We know catchers who impact the game on both sides of the ball are few and far between in baseball. Rutschman has demonstrated that potential. He is considered such a well-rounded player; he will certainly contribute to wins with his work behind the plate and his work at the plate.
With what the Orioles have in him, can they call him the new face of the franchise?
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