Adley Rutschman is becoming a bona fide superstar for the Orioles.
The hope is that he sticks around … for a long time.
Rutschman had a game-winning solo home run in the ninth inning to give the Orioles a 6-5 victory and four-game series win against the Oakland Athletics on April 13. It was the first walk-off hit of Rutschman’s career.
“It felt awesome,” Rustchman said about the game-winning homer. “It’s a first one for me, but just trying to put together a good AB there and just trying to win. I think to be able to come out and win a series, it feels awesome and I’m glad we were able to do it. I was just trying to stay as relaxed as possible and just trying to stay with your process, whatever plan you have going into that at-bat, trying to stick with that. Make sure you’re just focused on that and block out the noise.”
Rutschman is riding a career-high seven-game hitting streak, slashing .458/.581/.875 (11-for-24) with three homers, one double, seven runs scored, five RBIs and seven walks during that stretch.
There has already been clamoring for the Orioles to sign Rutschman to a long-term deal to avoid another Lamar Jackson situation in the city.
However, Rustchman’s price tag appears to be rising with each game. He has put the Orioles on his back and on the path to a potential spot in the postseason.
Orioles CEO John Angelos was noncommittal on whether the team would be able to afford a player like Rutschman in the future.
“They’re going to do what they can within the system that they’re in,” Angelos recently told Jason La Canfora and Ken Weinman on 105.7 The Fan, referring to the team’s front office. “Does that mean extensions? Absolutely, I would hope so. But you gotta go with the system you’re in.”
Rutschman was the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2019 MLB Draft after batting .353 with 72 extra-base hits, 174 RBIs and a 1.032 OPS in 185 games at Oregon State. He has met or exceeded almost every level of expectations along the way in his professional journey.
Rutschman batted .309 with three home runs and 9 RBIs this season in 19 games across three levels of the minors in 2022. He played 123 games for Double-A Bowie and Norfolk in 2021, batting .285 with 23 home runs and 75 RBIs.
He was promoted to the major-league club on May 21, 2022, and helped turn around the Orioles’ season.
Last year, Rutschman ranked among the rookie leaders in doubles (first), walks (second), extra-base hits (tied for third), on-base percentage (fourth), OPS (fourth), runs (sixth), slugging (seventh), total bases (eighth) and hits (tenth).
Rutschman finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting behind Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez and was voted the winner of the Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media.
For now, Rustchman’s teammates are just enjoying the ride with a generational player. The long-term future might be uncertain at the moment, but Rutschman is certainly making the most of the current situation.
“He’s a freak, he’s a beast,” said first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who has a team-leading six home runs and leads MLB with 19 RBIs. “It just seems like he’s always on everything at the plate, and defensively, too. He’s just amazing, a great player, and I’m excited to see how he grows.”
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