(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
It’s no secret that superstar catcher Adley Rutschman has changed the trajectory of the entire Baltimore Orioles franchise since he was quickly called up following a brief stint in the minor leagues after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2019 MLB Draft.
One stat stands out above all else when evaluating Rutschman’s impact on the team.
Today is the official two-year anniversary of Rutschman’s debut, and at the time of his debut the Orioles were 16-24, and since then the team has gone 197-132 which is the best record in the American League, per MLB Network.
Two years ago, Adley Rutschman made his @MLB debut!
At the time of his debut, the @Orioles were 16-24. Since then, they have the best record in the American League (197-132). pic.twitter.com/ER3N9CPVSF
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 21, 2024
The Orioles are rolling at 29-16 and sit just two games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East, and Rutschman along with burgeoning superstar Gunnar Henderson have been leading the charge at the dish.
Rutschman is developing into quite possibly the best catcher in baseball and is currently sporting a .304 batting average with nine homers and 28 RBI.
His power has continued to improve, though his walk rate has decreased dramatically so far this season.
As good as he has been at the plate, he has been just as good behind it with his handling of the pitching staff, as the Orioles currently have a 3.31 team ERA and are fourth in the league in WHIP and batting average against.
For a franchise that had experienced so little success over the previous couple of decades, Rutschman has been the true embodiment of a game-changer.
This young foundation is changing the narrative around the Orioles, and the next thing they have to do is turn this success into playoff success.
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