When Adley Rutschman first debuted on May 21, 2022, it was the most important stepping stone toward turning the Orioles back into a contender, as well as giving the fans some excitement about the youth movement.
Adley Rutschman Is Back on the Big Stage
In his first full campaign in 2023, Rutschman made an immediate impact, hitting a career-high 20 home runs to go along with 80 RBIs, while batting .277 with an OPS over .800, and secured his first trip to the All-Star Game. He was a major reason the Orioles won the AL East for the first time since 2014 and just the second time this century.
Although 2024 was a less impressive offensive season from the former number one overall pick in 2019, his usual sharp defense was there, and he parlayed that into a second straight appearance at the mid-summer classic.
After an inconsistent and injury-riddled 2025, Rutschman was primed for a bounce-back after a full offseason of getting himself back into full baseball form.
Wasting No Time
The former Oregon State Beaver wanted to prove he is one of the game’s best and an elite option at catcher. After a strong first few games in March, Rutschman took off in April, posting a .378/.404/.711 slashline, driving in 16 runs in addition to four homers, good for an OPS of 1.115.
Over 40% of his base hits were going for extra bags, a bonus to the already patient approach Rutschman incorporates at the plate.
Bump in the Ride
Unfortunately, the injury bug struck Rutschman for the first time in mid-April, causing him to miss a little over a week and interrupting his overall rhythm and flow. He batted a season-low .188/.292/.344 with a well below league average OPS of .636.
The questions surrounding whether or not Rutschman was the guy for the Orioles moving forward at catcher were looking more and more reasonable, especially with rookie Samuel Basallo rounding into form.
Back at It
After a rough May, the human backstop found his stride again following another brief IL stint in late June and has carried that into the beginning of July.
The switch-hitters’ numbers were all above league average in June, slashing .255/.305/.412, even if they didn’t meet the standard Orioles fans are used to from him, and he drove in 13 runners in just 51 at-bats.
He has been solid to start July in just a handful of games, with three doubles and as many RBIs.
Biggest Reasons
The success at the plate can be related to the fact that Rutschman has found how to drive the baseball into gaps and over the wall, sacrificing his keen eye for a higher slug percentage.
His chase rate is in the 69th percentile, down from where it was at the beginning of his career, but the sweet spot percentage (94th percentile), and the number of balls he is squaring up (89th percentile), suggest he is unlocking new power in his fifth MLB season.
He is also getting back to the player that made him so appealing out of college, doing damage to the fastball, while fighting off or serving the offspeed the other way for a base hit.
Rutschman is slugging .514 on fastballs, with 18 of his 27 extra base hits coming off of the fastball. Meanwhile his batting average has been slightly higher on breaking pitches, something most players cannot attest to.
The defense has been stellar as usual, as Rutschman ranks in the 99th percentile in fielding run value, accumulating nine defensive runs saved and we haven’t even hit the All-Star break yet.
What Does the Future Look Like?
While Rutschman’s name certainly hasn’t been trade deadline free, the hope this man has brought to a franchise that really needed it should keep him with the team post August 3.
However, the fact that the Orioles have the best catching duo in the sport might suggest a future could be elsewhere for number 35, as the Orioles have bigger needs they must address, and using Rutschman as a trade piece might help them fill these voids.
Main Photo Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
