If Brandon Hyde isn’t on the hot seat now, he will be soon for the Orioles.

Brandon Hyde may not worry about his job status, but he ought to.

The Baltimore Orioles are underperforming at an alarming rate, and Hyde will be the first to go if Mike Elias decides the team needs a midseason change.

Managers are often unfairly blamed for the struggles of star players. Baltimore is no exception, as the O’s expect more from catcher Adley Rutschman.

Hyde was asked if ever thinks about what could be next if the O’s continue to struggle.

While the veteran manager gave an encouraging answer, essentially thanking Elias for the opportunity thus far, it won’t stop some fans from calling for his job.

“He (Elias) was very patient in my first few years when we were not good, but then we got pretty good and for him to show the patience this year too and the understanding of where we are roster-wise, I appreciate that very much,” Hyde said, via Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun

Adley Rutschman’s failure could determine Orioles’ Brandon Hyde decision

As for Rutschman, he is a former No. 1 overall pick for a reason. The 27-year-old typically gets off to fast starts, but this season has been the exact opposite.

For example, through 37 games last year, Adley was hitting .316 with a .806 OPS. This season, those numbers are down to .203 with a .636 OPS, which are last among qualified catchers.

What’s most concerning about Rutschman is that his statistics thus far cannot be chalked up to a tough start. Adley struggled near the end of last season, as well, despite a red-hot start to the campaign.

Camden Chat’s John Beers noted that distinction in his most recent column:

“When Rutschman started to struggle last year, the most noticeable difference in his advanced stats was his chase rate, which ballooned from a career rate of about 23% to a glaring 29%. Swinging at bat pitches (even if you’re making contact) will always lead to more outs as it’s harder to make meaningful contact on balls out of the zone. That becomes especially true for hitters like Rutschman, who can’t make up for questionable swing decisions with great bat speed and exit velocity,” Beers wrote.

The Orioles success is predicated on the development of their young stars.

Even with new ownership, Baltimore is not going to out-spend the likes of the Yankees and Dodgers, and they sure as hell aren’t going to trade away controllable talent for rentals come the trade deadline. It is on Hyde to turn this ship around, and that starts with Rutschman.