{"id":43959,"date":"2025-03-26T01:42:10","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T01:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=43959"},"modified":"2025-03-26T01:42:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T01:42:10","slug":"breaking-orioles-bring-back-mlbs-top-catcher-game-changer-%f0%9f%94%a5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=43959","title":{"rendered":"Breaking: Orioles Bring Back MLB\u2019s Top Catcher\u2014Game Changer! \ud83d\udd25"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This young Baltimore Orioles star is playing in spring training like he\u2019s primed for a big year at a key moment in his career.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Mar<\/picture><\/figure>\n
Mar 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) takes batting practice before a game against the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. \/ Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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It\u2019s not always smart to count on regular-season production from spring training performance, but in the case of this\u00a0Baltimore Orioles\u00a0player, it\u2019s hard not to be intrigued.<\/p>\n

Catcher Adley Rutschman, who just went to arbitration with the Orioles for the first time, is entering a key stretch of his career. Baltimore has him under team control for two more seasons before he can hit free agency.<\/p>\n

The trend for young stars like\u00a0Rutschman\u00a0is to get them into a team-friendly extension that bridges them through arbitration and even into free agency. It\u2019s not that the player doesn\u2019t get paid. It just gives the Orioles some assurance of the finances. A player like him would also get security, especially if he\u2019s intent on staying.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s worth highlighting what\u00a0Rutschman\u00a0has done this spring.<\/p>\n

MLB.com\u00a0produced a piece highlight \u201c15 spring training stat lines that matter.\u201d One was Rutschman\u2019s and it\u2019s easy to see why.<\/p>\n

His slash line is terrific \u2014 .361\/.452\/.611\/1.063 with three home runs.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just the slash. The piece pointed out that more than half of the left-hander\u2019s hits, and two of this three home runs, have gone opposite field.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s intriguing because the Orioles are bringing in the fence in left field at Camden Yards. That brings the fence more into play for right-handed pull hitters \u2014 and left-handed opposite field power hitters like Rutschman.<\/p>\n

It leads the site\u2019s analysts to believe that the \u201creal Adley Rutschman is back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 and the real Adley Rutschman is arguably the best all-around catcher in the Majors,\u201d per the site.<\/p>\n

There were questions around Rutschman last season as his offense tailed off in the second half. While he wasn\u2019t the only Orioles player to take a downturn, his was pronounced. It led to the worst slash line of his three-year Major League career \u2014 .250\/.318\/.391\/.709 \u2014 with 19 home runs and 79 RBI.<\/p>\n

After catching 154 games in 2023 and 148 games in 2024, the Orioles invested in veteran catcher Gary Sanchez on a one-year deal to help get the 27-year-old a bit more rest.<\/p>\n

His body of work makes it easy to see why. He finished second in American League rookie of the year voting in 2022. He is a two-time All-Star, a 2023 AL Silver Slugger winner at catcher and has finished in the Top 12 of AL MVP voting twice.<\/p>\n

With 162-game averages of .261\/.351\/.421\/.772 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI, the Orioles need the \u201creal Adley Rutschman\u201d all season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This young Baltimore Orioles star is playing in spring training like he\u2019s primed for a big year at a key moment in his career. 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