Top Baltimore Orioles prospect Adley Rutschman has had some major struggles at the plate since he made his Major League debut back on May 21.
Just don’t tell that to Toronto Blue Jays starter José Berríos. In the top half of the fourth in Wednesday night’s game in Canada, the stud young catcher belted his first career MLB homer.
It came via 411-foot blast out to right-center field to pull Baltimore to within 5-2.
Neither George Springer or Raimel Tapia had much of the play on the ball as both just watched it leave the yard.
The No. 1 overall pick of the Orioles back in 2019 out of Oregon State, Rutschman is considered a generational talent both at the plate and behind it. He had not lived up to that billing thus far in his young career prior to Wednesday evening.
- Adley Rutschman stats (2022): .176 average, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .256 OBP, .514 OPS in 74 at-bats
It’s typical for young catchers to struggle at the plate early in their careers. They have a lot more to worry about than rookies at other positions. That includes working with the pitching staff.
For the 24-year-old Rutschman, this dinger certainly had to feel good. There’s also a lot more where this comes from. Prior to being called up, the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball heading into othe 2022 season was hitting .304 with three homers and 10 RBI in the minors.
For a rebuilding Orioles team, it’s a great sign to see Adley Rutschman finally do his thing at the plate.