Baltimore eventually called him up to the bigs on May 21, 2022.
Since that point, the Orioles currently have a streak alive that is unprecedented compared to where they were as a franchise years prior.
With their win on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers, they avoided a sweep, something that hasn’t occurred in the regular season since Rutschman was called up.
Of course, the qualifier has to be placed on this statistic because Baltimore was swept in the playoffs by the Texas Rangers this past year, but that is an unbelievable stretch from this team.
In baseball, it’s rare that one player can come in and completely change a franchise because they have limited opportunities at the plate and others on the roster have to make plays as well.
But, that’s been the case with their star catcher since he debuted in 2022 and finished runner-up in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
According to StatMuse, the Orioles are 167-114 after calling up Rutschman, good for a win percentage of 59.4%.
It should also be pointed out that this success isn’t solely because of the 26-year-old, but when he got promoted it was a sign that Baltimore’s talented farm system was getting ready to play at the Major League level, something that currently has them in a window where they should be competitive for a long time.
How long this streak stays alive will be seen, but either way, it’s been a remarkable stretch of baseball for this franchise.
The Baltimore Orioles’ ascension from the ashes of irrelevance has rejuvenated a once moribund franchise who were regular cellar dwellers in the American League East. Ebullience best describes the ethos of the Orioles at the outset of spring training due in large part to catcher Adley Rutschman. Besides Rutschman and a plethora of talent on the major league roster, the Orioles’ farm system is bursting with prospects that could transform how baseball is played in Baltimore over the next decade. Amid recent developments regarding Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt, Jr. and his 11-year, $288.7 million contract extension, does Rutschman deserve to be Major League Baseball’s next young superstar who secures a contract extension that can change the trajectory of his career and life?
The answer is yes, but patience will be required due to the Orioles’ ownership change to private equity billionaire David Rubenstein and his group of investors for 40% of the franchise at a purchase price of $1.725 billion. While Major League Baseball would love to expedite the sale over a period of several weeks, don’t be surprised if official confirmation doesn’t occur until the middle of the summer. Rubenstein’s tenure as control person of the Orioles should begin at some point during the 2024 season. In the interim, he will have an opportunity to carefully study Rutschman as arbitration eligibility awaits the 26-year-old switch hitter for the first time at season’s end.
In terms of length of years and value, don’t expect a contract extension for Rutschman that is similar in nature to Witt, Jr. given their differences in age and position. As both were selected in the 2019 draft, Rutschman was the first pick out of Oregon State University as a 21-year-old catcher while Witt, Jr. was the second pick as a high school shortstop who was days away from turning 19-years-old. When it comes to identifying a top priority for negotiations with Rutschman, an emphasis must be placed on maximizing value as a catcher during his age-27 through age-31 seasons.
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