After the canceled 2020 minor league season, Rutschman was assigned to the Double-ABowie Baysox to start the 2021 season.[22] In June 2021, Rutschman was selected to play in theAll-Star Futures Game.[23] On August 9, 2021, Rutschman was promoted to Triple-ANorfolk Tides, after slashing a .271/.392/.508, with 18 home runs and 55 RBIs in 80 games with Bowie. He batted a .312/.405/.490 with 5 home runs and 20 RBIs in 43 games with Norfolk. In November 2021, Rutschman was awarded the Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove Award as the best defensive catcher in the minor leagues.[24][25]
Rutschman competed for a spot on the Orioles 2022Opening Day roster, but he missed the start of the season due to a strainedtriceps muscle.[26] He began a rehabilitation assignment with Aberdeen on April 26.[27] On May 21, 2022, Rutschman was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[28] During his first game, that same day, he got the start playing catcher and batting 6th in the lineup. His first major league at-bat resulted in a strikeout, but two at-bats later, he got his first hit, a triple.[29] He was the first major-leaguer to accomplish that feat (a triple for his first MLB hit) since Jason Perry did so in his first Major League at-bat for the Atlanta Braves in 2008. On June 15, Rutschman hit his first major league home run offToronto Blue Jays starterJosé Berríos.[30] Rutschman finished the season hitting .254/.362/.445 with 35 doubles, 13 home runs and 42 RBIs in 113 games with Baltimore. He was voted the winner of the 2022 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media.[31] Rutschman also finished second in voting forAL Rookie of the Year toMariners outfielderJulio Rodríguez, receiving one first-place vote.
On Opening Day in the 2023 season, Rutschman batted 5-for-5 with a home run, becoming the first MLB player to do so on Opening Day since 1937.[32] He was selected to his firstAll-Star Game in 2023 after putting up a .273/.376/.423 slash line with 12 home runs in the first half of the season.[33][34] Rutschman was also selected to participate in the2023 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, where he hit 27 home runs in the first round but was eliminated byChicago White Sox sluggerLuis Robert Jr.'s 28 home runs. Rutschman, aswitch hitter, notably hit 20 home runs left-handed and 7 home runs right-handed in his derby appearance.[35] On August 10, 2023, Rutschman became the first Oriole to homer over the extended left field wall while batting left handed, launching a leadoff homer off ofHouston Astros starterHunter Brown.[36] Rutschman won the ALSilver Slugger Award among catchers.[37] Rutschman was a finalist at catcher for the Gold Glove Award, losing to Jonah Heim of the Texas Rangers.[38][39]
On Opening Day 2024, Rutschman became the first player to reach base safely in at least each of his first eight career plate appearances on Opening Day sinceJoe Lahoud, who also reached safely in eight consecutive plate appearances from 1968 to 1972. He went 2–4 with a walk, three runs scored and two RBI to open the season in Baltimore's 11–3 victory over the Angels.[40] On April 19, 2024, Rutschman hit his first careergrand slam off ofKansas City Royals relieverWill Smith.[41] He homered from both sides of the plate for the first time in his MLB career in a 6–5away loss to theBlue Jays on June 6. The first was a one-out solo homer offYusei Kikuchi in the sixth inning, the second a two-out two-run shot offZach Pop in the eighth.[42] He achieved a career-high six RBI in a 9–2away win over theTampa Bay Rays three days later on June 9. Four of the runs he drove in came on his second career grand slam offPhil Maton with two outs in the eighth.[43]
His grandfather,Ad Rutschman, was a football and baseball coach atLinfield College and is a member of the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame.[44]
Rutschman's nickname "Rooster" came from his inspiration to grow a mustache like the fictional character Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw from the filmTop Gun: Maverick.[45]
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