'The Complete Package': Experts Gushing Over Orioles Top Draft Pick Adley Rutschman
BALTIMORE (WJZ)- The Baltimore Orioles selected Oregon State junior catcher Adley Rutschman with the first overall pick in the 2019 MLB Entry Draft on Monday night. The 21-year-old switch hitter compiled a .411 batting average with 17 homers and 58 RBI this past season for the Beavers and O's fans are hoping that he is the next franchise cornerstone. With any pick in the baseball draft, there is the caveat of development time and it's unlikely that fans will see Rutschman in the majors this season or even next.
The MLB Draft, unlike it's cousins in the NFL and NBA, is unique in the respect that fans usually haven't seen the top prospects play. With that lack of personal familiarity with the player's skill set, fans rely on the experts to weigh in on each prospect. We've gathered some of the various reactions from around the baseball world to the Orioles pick and the consensus seems to be that the O's got exactly the kind of cornerstone they were hoping for in Rutschman.
Mike Axisa CBSSports.com writer- "He's a switch-hitter with power and patience, and outstanding defensive chops that make it easy to believe he will remain behind the plate long-term. The only knock against him is his speed, or lack thereof. Ruthschman is the complete package, and that includes the leadership skills teams look for in top draft picks."
MLB.com- "Despite all the smokescreens that the Orioles might go in another direction, they took the consensus best prospect available. It would have been very hard to pass on a switch-hitting catcher who can hit for average and power, draws a ton of walks and plays quality defense behind the plate. Plus, his makeup is off the charts. He now becomes the face of the franchise."
Joel Reuter, Bleacher Report- Reuter gave the pick of Rutschman an A+ saying that the pick was a no-brainer. In addition to agreeing with the scouting reports provided by the guys above, Reuter sees Rutschman as a guy potentially on a fast-track to the bigs.
"Standout collegiate catchers Buster Posey and Mike Zunino—selected in 2008 and 2012, respectively—made their MLB debuts the year after they were drafted. Rutschman will be on a similarly fast track."
Dan Mullen, ESPN.com- Mullen states that according to his colleague Keith Law, Rutschman has a perennial All-Star level of play ceiling with a relatively high floor as well. The catcher's power was widely respected at the college level to the point where he got the Barry Bonds treatment in one of the Beavers regional games.
"How good is Rutschman? Well, Cincinnati showed the ultimate sign of respect by electing to walk him with the bases loaded during an NCAA regional matchup last week."
Overall, it seems that the Orioles selected the consensus best player in the draft, a guy that scouts think will pay off in spades for the team heading into the future.
