Orioles Top Pick Adley Rutschman Named Baseball America College Player of the Year
By Parker White
The Baltimore Orioles selected Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman with the No. 1 overall pick earlier this month, and his list of accolades grew on Monday, as Baseball America named him the National Player of the Year.
This. Just. In.
— Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) June 10, 2019
Adley Rutschman is the @BaseballAmerica National Player of the Year.#GoBeavs pic.twitter.com/77oaGLjuDw
Rutschman really burst onto the scene last year with a big season, but he backed that up with an incredible 2019 campaign where he led Oregon State in 10 offensive categories that included batting average (.411), home runs (17) and walks (76).
Future Orioles superstar Adley Rutschman won't stop winning awards. https://t.co/4Ce6Of2RDL pic.twitter.com/wyOSCZY4aY
— NBC Sports Orioles (@NBCSOrioles) June 10, 2019
Rutschman isn't just a big time hitter at the dish. He's a strong defender and is one of the best two-way catchers in the country, which led to him being the first Oregon State Beaver to be selected with the first overall pick.
This likely won't be Rutschman's last award, as he's a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy and the Buster Posey Award. As he makes his way to Baltimore, Rutschman compares quite favorably to the likes of Posey and other top-hitting catchers of his time.