The Orioles are hoping Adley Rutschman can do for them what Bryce Harper, once also a touted catching prospect, did for their Beltway rival.
As most experts predicted for weeks, Baltimore took the dynamic Oregon State catcher No. 1 to begin the three-day MLB draft. The Royals followed by taking Texas shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., the son of longtime major league pitcher Bobby Witt, and the White Sox went with California sophomore first baseman Andrew Vaughn, USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes award winner as the nation’s top player. The three were the consensus top prospects in the draft, and weren’t left waiting long.
Rutschman, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 College World Series, became the first true college catcher to go first overall since B.J. Surhoff in 1985, and is the third college prospect to go first in the past six years. The last time the Orioles picked No. 1, they chose LSU pitcher Ben McDonald, who won 78 games in eight major league seasons. They have done well with catchers in the first round, having chosen Matt Wieters fifth overall out of Georgia Tech in 2007.
“It’s everything I’ve always dreamed of,” Rustchman said on MLB Network. “This is an unbelievable feeling and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Rutschman, a defensive dynamo just as polished behind the plate as with a bat in his hands, slashed a ridiculous .411/.575/.751 this season and walked twice as many times as he struck out his junior year. He was an intimidating presence in the college game, walked intentionally with the bases loaded over the weekend by Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament. MLB Network analyst Joe Girardi, the former Yankees manager and major league catcher, believes Rutschman will fly through the Orioles’ system and begin helping them in 2021.
Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr. and his father, taken third overall by the Rangers in 1985, became the highest father-son draft duo ever.
“Now I have him beat, too,” joked the younger Witt, who was the MVP of the Under Armour All-America Game.
The Marlins selected Vanderbilt outfielder J.J Bleday fourth, the Tigers took Florida high school outfielder Riley Greene fifth, the Padres chose speedy high school shortstop C.J. Abrams from Georgia sixth, and TCU left-hander Nick Lodolo went seventh to the Reds.
