The Road to The Show™: Adley Rutschman
Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken to reach the brink of realizing his Major League dream. Here's a look at Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman:
Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken to reach the brink of realizing his Major League dream. Here's a look at Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman:
The most highly touted catching prospect since Joe Mauer, it's no surprise Adley Rutschman has been in the express lane to The Show since being selected with the top overall pick in the 2019 Draft. Fittingly, Mauer is the only other catcher to have been drafted first overall in the past 40 years. The top Orioles prospect ascended through three levels of the Minor Leagues during his only professional campaign, then received an invitation to big league camp this spring. He appeared in seven Grapefruit League games and collected a hit and a walk before being assigned to the backfields.
Baltimore’s selection of the switch-hitting backstop was no surprise as it came on the heels of a dynamic college career at Oregon State, where the 22-year-old posted numbers more likely to be found in a video game than the back of a baseball card.
After a solid freshman season in which Rutschman batted .234 with two homers, a triple, seven doubles and 33 RBIs in 61 games -- an effort that landed him honorable mention All-Pac-12 Conference honors and a spot on the Corvallis Regional All-Tournament team -- he elevated his game the following year.
As a sophomore, Rutschman posted an eye-popping .408/.505/.628 slash line with nine dingers, three triples and 22 doubles while setting single-season school records with 83 RBIs and 102 hits in 67 games. His .408 average ranked third in Beavers history and he scored 56 times.
After finishing as a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Johnny Bench Award following the regular season, Rutschman led Oregon State to its third College World Series championship. The 6-foot-2, 216-pounder finished the tournament with 17 hits, including a three-knock effort with a pair of RBIs in the title-clinching victory over Arkansas. He was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
Shortly after that, Rutschman joined the Collegiate National Team. He appeared in nine games for USA Baseball -- five starts behind the dish and three as a designated hitter -- and hit .355/.432/.516, leading the team in all three categories. He also drove in a pair of runs, scored twice and topped the squad with five doubles. He finished second on the team with four multi-hit efforts and was named MVP of the 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series after batting .333 with three doubles in the series. Oh, the Sherwood, Oregon, native also threw out a pair of would-be basestealers.
And when the trophy case appeared to be reaching capacity, Rutschman returned to school for his junior season and outdid himself. The switch-hitter posted a .411/.575/.751 slash line with 17 long balls, a triple, 10 doubles, 58 RBIs and 57 runs scored in 57 games. His .411 mark led the conference and was tied for second in Oregon State history. He also set the Beavers' single-season record -- and led all of Division I baseball -- with 76 walks. That was followed by a clean sweep of awards given to position players: the Golden Spikes Award, Dick Howser Trophy and Buster Posey Award.
2019 (Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, Class A Short Season Aberdeen, Class A Delmarva)
After a bout with mononucleosis delayed the start of his rookie professional season, MLB.com’s No. 4 overall prospect moved quickly and often. Rutschman immediately made his impact felt as he homered in his first Minor League game on July 20 with the GCL Orioles.
A week later, he was promoted to the New York-Penn League. In 20 games with the IronBirds, Rutschman sported a .325/.413/.481 slash line with a homer, a triple, seven doubles, 15 RBIs and 11 runs scored. His advanced strike-zone awareness was on display as he drew 12 walks. He also was part of the battery that combined on the first no-hitter in Aberdeen history on Aug. 12 in Vermont.
"He's quiet back there as far as receiving. I think he got some calls that way on some borderline pitches,” IronBirds manager Kevin Bradshaw said after that game. “He did a great job reading swings. He knew what the pitchers had working for them and kept going to it."
Rutschman finished his stint with Aberdeen on a 10-game hitting streak. After going 5-for-5 with a homer, a triple and four RBIs on Aug. 19, he was promoted to the South Atlantic League the following day.
"He is locked in every single day," then-Aberdeen hitting coach Thomas Eller said. "He's got an older guy's approach as far as what he's looking to do and what he's trying to do. And he really doesn't get a lot of pitches to hit, it's just a matter of him having that great strike-zone awareness to get his pitch and drive it."
Rutschman finished the year with Delmarva, where he collected six hits, six walks and eight RBIs in 12 games. In the Shorebirds' regular-season finale, he went 2-for-4 with a two-run tater.
The backstop has four potentially plus skills in his hit, power, arm and fielding tools. Rutschman threw out seven of 11 attempted basestealers in his rookie season and has built a reputation as an elite pitch framer. Rutschman is already known for some big moments that include the national title at Oregon State and the longest field goal kicked in an Oregon high-school football game, and there's hope that he could create some more by the time he reaches Baltimore. He was expected to open 2020 with Class A Advanced Frederick when baseball camps shut down in March.
Rob Terranova is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobTnova24.
Dodgers greats Newcombe and Campanella made history as Minors teammates
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
15 prospects primed for a bounceback season from injury
A lot of players will be getting a fresh start heading into the 2025 season. Prospects who missed significant time due to injury have had upwards of six months between regular-season games to return to health. Now they'll be looking to re-establish their value and maybe even reach new heights.
Check out the newest Minor League team logos for 2025
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Here are 18 prospects who also starred on the gridiron
The two-time defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and plenty of baseball prospects will be keeping a close eye. After all, many current Minor Leaguers played football at a high level before committing fully to the diamond. No, there aren't any
Did you know the Superdome was once home to a Minor League team?
On Sunday, one of the world’s most-watched sporting events will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Believe it or not, decades before Super Bowl LIX came to town, the same building was home to a Minor League Baseball team for one season. The 1977 Triple-A New Orleans Pelicans
How a Black pitcher's brief PCL stint in 1916 generated a historic card
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2010. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
The Show Before the Show: Episode 489
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minors legend Jones still holds batting record
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2008. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers. Grover "Deacon" Jones spent more than a half-century in baseball, serving the game at almost every level and in
Hooks have a new look -- and more -- on the line for 20th season
In advance of a milestone season at Whataburger Field, the Corpus Christi Hooks are making a change. The Houston Astros' Double-A affiliate unveiled new logos and uniforms on Friday evening, marking the first time they have significantly altered their look since debuting in 2005. According to Hooks general manager Brady
Here's how Jackie Robinson fueled Montreal to a Minor League title in 1946
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
They're due! MiLB's longest active title droughts
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
These players could earn teams extra Draft picks in 2025
Since the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, four players have earned their clubs extra Draft picks. The PPI rewards teams for promoting their best prospects to the big leagues at the start of the season, enabling them to earn a Draft pick if
Each team's best non-Top 100 prospect
There just isn't enough room to fit all the worthy talents on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. We unveiled our latest rankings last Friday, and now we're going to spotlight the best prospect in each farm system who couldn't quite make the cut. We undertook the same exercise last
MiLB collaborates with Stand Up To Cancer
Minor League Baseball announced a new collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), an organization that funds the development of new and promising cancer treatments to help patients today. Founded in 2008, SU2C raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers with the aspiration to cure all patients.
These are the best tools on the new Top 100 Prospects list
Players featured on last year’s edition of the best tools among Top 100 prospects should look familiar to even casual baseball fans at this point. Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (best fastball, slider) took the Major Leagues by storm as the NL Rookie of the Year, thanks to his hard-throwing ways
Answering your Top 100 Prospects list questions
MLB Pipeline released its new Top 100 Prospects list on Friday, and it was met with a bevy of questions and comments about fans' favorite prospects. To help make sense of all the inquiries, Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo took to Reddit and responded to fan questions in a Top 100 Prospect-focused
Here are every organization's Top 100 prospects for 2025
MLB Pipeline’s 2025 Top 100 Prospects list went live on Friday night, led by the newest Dodger, right-hander Roki Sasaki, Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony and Twins outfielder Walker Jenkins. There’s a lot of offensive firepower throughout the list, beyond those two outfielders at the top, but while the bats
Check out MLB Pipeline's 2025 Top 100 Prospects list
He was one of the most sought-after talents this offseason, and he hadn’t even played stateside ball yet. Now, he can add another bullet point to his already lengthy baseball resume. Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki tops MLB Pipeline’s 2025 preseason ranking of the Top 100 prospects, followed by Red Sox
The Show Before the Show: Episode 488
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Get ready to cheer for ... the Bathtub Donkeys?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to The Baseball Traveler newsletter here.
These are MLB’s No. 1 prospects at each position
MLB Pipeline's 2025 rankings of the Top 10 prospects at each position are official and the 2025 Top 100 Prospects list will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET on Friday on MLB Network and MLB.com.