May 21st marks the first time that the new Orioles Catcher Adley Rutschman received the call to the big leagues. Since stepping onto the field, Rutschman has proven himself as a force to be reckoned with at the plate and behind the dish. His call-up just happens to coincide with the resurgent Baltimore Orioles taking flight and ushering in a potential new era of winning in a tough AL East.
Orioles Catcher A Leader at the Plate
Adley Rutschman hit the ground running with his bat in the big leagues. The Orioles catcher leads all catchers in MLB with 680 plate appearances, showing that he is ready to answer the bell every time his manager calls.
Since his call up to the bigs, there have been 15 catchers with at least 500 plate appearances. Rutschman is 2nd in hits, 1st in doubles, 1st in runs scored, 1st in walks, 4th in wRC+, and is 2nd in OBP. His prowess at the plate has helped lead his team offensively to 6th in the AL in runs scored, a huge improvement from 2nd to last in the AL in 2021.
Impact on the Pitching Staff
Since Adley Rutschman made his debut on May 21st of last year, the pitching staff has learned to trust him behind the plate. In 2021, the Orioles had a league worst ERA at 5.85 for their entire pitching staff, and had the lowest K% at 19.7%.
Since he made his debut as the Orioles catcher, the pitching staff has worked to the tune of 21.3% K rate and a much improved 4.03 ERA. The talent is still thin in the pitching department, but it’s worth noting that there have pitched almost a full two runs better than in the previous year without Rutschman.
The Orioles All-Around Improvement
It’s been a tale of two different teams for the Orioles since Adley Rutschman took over as the catcher. Since his debut, the Orioles have rattled off 98 wins, which is 6th best in all of MLB, and 3rd best in the AL.
This season has been even better than previous seasons. The Orioles are off to a 31-16 start, good for 2nd in the AL East behind the Rays who have been crushing the entire league. They have a +41 run differential, which is 4th best in the AL. With their record, the Orioles would lead in every other division in MLB.
The Orioles catcher has had a huge impact on the entire team, and will continue to blossom at the Major League level. With some notable additions, we should see the Orioles continue to climb the ranks as one of the best in the league, especially with Adley Rutschman leading the charge.
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