Top 3 Picks in 2019 MLB Draft Finish High in 2020 Prospect Rankings

Top 3 Picks in 2019 MLB Draft Finish High in 2020 Prospect Rankings

Adley Rutschman – Ranking: 4th overall

The oldest of the three prospects, Adley Rutschman was the first overall pick because of his stellar play in college and his plus tools both offensively and defensively on the diamond.

In the box, Rutschman has an incredible eye that really helps his plate discipline, which shows in his impressive numbers with OPS and base on balls. He also has plus power from both sides of the batter’s box, putting the ball in play across the diamond and over the wall.

Defensively, the Oregon State alum did have a few errors in his first professional season, but his strong arm and movement behind the plate make it seem natural and easy for pitchers to throw home with confidence.

The catching prospect would split his time between three different leagues within the Orioles system, starting in the Rookie League and working his way to Class A with the Delmarva Shorebirds.

His slash line across the three leagues was a respectful .254/.351/.423, finishing with 4 home runs, 26 RBI’s, and 20 walks in just 37 games. He would also finish with a .774 OPS while tallying 27 strikeouts and 1 stolen base.

Defensively, Rutschman would finish with a .976 fielding percentage while committing 4 errors in the 17 games where he was used as the catcher. Rutschman’s powerful arm was on display all season, as he was able to throw out 7 of 11 stealing attempts for a 64% success rate.

While we may not see Rutschman play with the Orioles next season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move quickly up the farm system and end in either AA or AAA by the end of 2020. His ETA for the MLB is currently at 2021, and I truly think he can hit that mark if he has successful sophomore season in pro ball.