The similarities between Adley Rutschman and Matt Wieters are endless. They are two switch-hitting catchers. They were selected in the top five of their respective drafts coming out of big-time college programs. They were two of the highest-touted prospects in Orioles history.
What comes along with that, though, are lofty expectations. It’s something the two also share, and something Rutschman is now forced to overcome like Wieters did more than a decade ago.
Wieters received nicknames like “Mauer with power,” a reference to former Minnesota Twins backstop Joe Mauer. Former teammate Adam Jones disapproved of the expectations the top prospect faced, saying fans were expecting “Jesus Christ in shin guards.”
While Rutschman hasn’t been labeled with any catchy monikers like Wieters, the 24-year-old now stares down similar expectations that his predecessor once faced. To some, it seems unfair for such a young player to endure.
“I don’t think it is [fair],” longtime baseball writer and reporter Peter Gammons said on Glenn Clark Radio June 7. “I think he’s going to be a really good player. … He’s not going to be Johnny Bench. Nobody else has ever been Johnny Bench. But he’s going to be really good. I’m not going to put the burden on him and say he’s a Hall of Famer.”
The comparisons to Wieters, while easy to make, are controversial among fans, some of whom believe Wieters’ career was a disappointment. The idea of Rutschman having a similar career to Wieters, a key contributor to the team that won the most games in the American League from 2012-2016, is unsatisfying to some.
But just as Wieters’ promotion in 2009 acted as a signal that the direction of the Orioles would soon change, so did Rutschman’s debut last month. As the franchise looks to turn the page on a long rebuild, Rutschman’s rookie campaign now serves as a step in the right direction.
“From the day that he came up, I had a different feeling about the Orioles,” Gammons said. “They have a different look when he walks out on the field. A great catcher who is so team-oriented changes the nature of the team.”
The rookie’s slow start to the season can serve as a reminder that patience is needed, and that he can’t directly contribute to turning the team’s fortunes around by himself. Through 14 games, Rutschman has just eight hits in 61 plate appearances. He’s yet to slug a home run and has logged 15 strikeouts to only four walks.
This year’s Orioles won’t finish better than .500 or fight for a spot in the postseason later this summer, Gammons said, but the foundation for the next winning team is being put in place.
Gammons identified a few other players, some already in Baltimore and some in the higher levels of the minors, who figure to be mainstays for years to come. Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, Rutschman’s battery mate of the last two seasons at Bowie and Norfolk, is on his way whenever he can return from his recent injury.
Possibly the best example of what’s to come is the team’s newfound ability to discover and develop pitching. It’s best exemplified in their bullpen, led by Jorge Lopez, Dillon Tate, Felix Bautista and Keegan Akin, among others. It’s been one of MLB’s best and is earning recognition from rivals.
“When they played in Boston in that five-game series [recently], the topic of conversation all weekend on the Red Sox side was the Orioles’ young arms,” Gammons said.
Although the wins may not come immediately, what can be taken away from this season is how far Baltimore moves toward competing. The organization’s young pitchers and other position players, some already at the major league level, will be a big part of that, but Rutschman is the headliner.
Still, those expectations can be detrimental. Gammons’ best advice to fans is to let Rutschman be himself, even if he doesn’t become the next Bench.
“When the Orioles are really ready to turn the corner, we’re going to see how important he is,” Gammons said. “Hopefully there’s a 14-year-old out there who, seven years from now, somebody is saying, ‘This is the next Adley Rutschman. He’s not the next Johnny Bench, he’s Adley Rutschman.'”
For more from Gammons, listen to the full interview here:
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