A former 40th round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners, Adley Rutschman has turned himself into the best overall catcher in the country.
As a freshman in 2017 he hit just .234 in 209 at-bats with 38 runs scored, 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 33 RBI, and a .322 on-base percentage. But it was his solid work behind the plate that helped lead Oregon State to the College World Series semi-finals.
That summer wasn’t much better offensively hitting .164 in 67 at-bats in the Cape Cod League.
However, this past spring he really became a hot prospect by hitting .408 in 250 at-bats with 56 runs scored, 22 doubles, 9 home runs, 83 RBI, and a .505 on-base percentage.
All that while leading the Beavers to the College World Series title.
This past summer he played for the US Collegiate National team.
An easy guy to root for, Rutschman plays with a lot of energy. He’s a switch-hitter but throws with his right hand and has a strong arm behind the plate.
Even if his offense comes back down to Earth in his junior season, he should still be the top catcher in the country, and possibly the number one overall pick in the MLB Draft.
