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Buster Olney, ESPN Senior Writer
When Adley Rutschman was promoted to the major leagues a little over two years ago, Baltimore Oriole‘ The catcher is known for the way he greets his pitcher as he leaves the mound. With his mask tucked under his armpit, Rutschman exudes energy, or empathy, or encouragement, or maybe a combination of those things — more often than not, a hug. Whatever’s needed in that moment.
Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde values those skills — not to mention Rutschman’s other abilities as a catcher. But Hyde has made it clear that with Rutschman, his priority in his plans is to make sure that offensive skill is part of his batting lineup as often as possible.
“I’m trying to keep him as fresh as possible defensively,” Hyde said, as part of a conversation that began in March about how he would deploy Rutschman. “But he’s also Adley Rutschman offensively, and we feel that when his bat isn’t in the lineup.”
Rutschman batted .300 entering Thursday’s game, with 95 hits, 15 homers and an adjusted OPS+ of 140. Few catchers anchor a lineup the way Rutschman does for the Orioles. Hall of Famer Mike Piazza is often the most important hitter for New York Mets for eight years with that team and never played more than 141 games, in the years before National League teams did not have access to the designated hitter on a daily basis. Buster Posey often hitting third or fourth for the Giants, and in 2015 he played a career-high 150 games, sometimes at first base. Salvador Pereza recent exception, having played 161 games in 2021, including 122 at catcher.
Rutschman played in 154 games last season, and through the first half of 2024, he was in the lineup for nearly every game — 77 of the team’s 81 games. He batted at number 2, or, very occasionally, as an opening batsman, with Hyde willing to use him as a catcher a little less to ensure that he could play for the DH .
“It’s been a process over the last two years to figure out what’s best,” Rutschman said. “He’s obviously put a lot of thought into it, which I appreciate.”
In fact, the past two years have included regular dialogue between Rutschman, Hyde and Baltimore’s staff — transparent conversations about how Rutschman feels and whether he would benefit from having more time at DH or not. These discussions run parallel to those occurring in recent seasons with discussions between Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels, as the player and team try to find the best path that brings him the most success as a two-way player.
Hyde said most of the time, the manager is the one who initiates the conversation about a DH game or even an off day.
“Because he still doesn’t like to sit,” Hyde said. “But he understands that too. He understands that sometimes he needs time or rest. We talk about it…”
Hyde chuckled. “But usually I’m the one who comes to see him.”
“My job is to play,” Rutschman said. “At the end of the day, I’m always ready to compete — that’s how you’re always taught to play. It’s a tough thing to balance, in my mind and the player’s mind.”
Last year, Rutschman caught 110 games, and this season, he’s on pace to do a little less. (In the team’s first 81 games, he started at catcher in 49 and was the DH in 27.) Hyde said he doesn’t have a specific goal, but said he feels like Rutschman’s 2023 workload “is going to be really good. He felt good at the end of the year. So that’s my goal — to have him in the lineup as much as possible, with the right days off, to let his body recover.”
When planning, Hyde will look ahead about 10 days, he estimates, to try to figure out when he will use Rutschman at catcher and when he can DH, with a number of variables during the game — travel schedule, opposing team’s starting pitcher, Orioles’ starting pitcher. Hyde will also take into account the feedback he receives from Rutschman about how he feels. Because Rutschman has had more time in the big leagues, Hyde said before the season, he’s been more liberal in his opinions about which days might be best for him to catch. and when it might be more beneficial for him to DH.
But those plans, Hyde said, are all done in pencil, because they can change based on ever-changing circumstances – the need for Rutschman to pinch hit and end the game at catcher, inning extra, weather delay or postponement, shift in opponent’s rotation. While working behind the plate during Thursday’s game, Rutschman was hit in the arm by a ball that bounced back. Although an X-ray showed a possible fracture, he was left out of the squad on Friday [for just the fifth time all year].
As Hyde considers his options, he also considers the choices that are the best possible fit for him. James McCannAnother Orioles catcher who had a better hitting record against left-handed hitters than against right-handed hitters.
Over the past two seasons, Rutschman’s power production has gotten better as he has assumed the DH role. He has 27 homers in 247 games during his catching career. In 96 starts at DH, he had 20 homers, with a slugging rate nearly 170 points higher than when he caught. If Rutschman has to fish heavily, Hyde said, he can sometimes see an impact in Rutschman’s offense.
“If he [caught] four out of five days, I would say,” Hyde said. “No one is going to catch fresh fish in the summer in the northeast. I try to observe and communicate with him, and we do the best we can.”
When Rutschman was in college, he admitted that he wasn’t in the habit of telling his athletic trainer about days when he wasn’t feeling well, or was dealing with some minor discomfort. “I feel like I’ve gotten better at it,” Rutschman said. “But you still want to play.”
Speaking by phone Thursday, Hyde noted the intensity of the Orioles’ schedule in June — Baltimore will play 29 of its 30 days this month — to explain why he’s using Rutschman more often as the DH. That slog slows down in July: The Orioles have an off day on Monday. [although they are flying to Seattle overnight after their “Sunday Night Baseball” game against the Texas, cutting into their down time] and then have another day off on July 8, before the All-Star break. With those breaks, Hyde figures he will be more aggressive in starting Rutschman at catcher next month.
But again, he added, that plan could change. Because of a rainout, or a game that goes into the 12th or 13th inning, or a foul, or just instinct from Hyde or one of his coaches.
Toward the end of Posey’s career, he learned to streamline his game preparation to save some of the wear and tear on his body. Near the end of Posey’s time in the majors, former Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens said that Posey would only need 10 swings during batting practice to be ready. Hyde believes Rutschman is learning to make similar adjustments.
“He was a worker,” Hyde said. “Now that he’s been through his first five majors, he understands the schedule and what needs to be done. I think he’ll be able to manage his swing and extra stuff well more.”
