Who is he and where did he come from?
He’s catcher Adley Rutschman! If the name sounds familiar, that would make sense considering he was previously playing with the Baltimore Orioles, another AL East foe. The number one overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft by way of Oregon State (and the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape League!), Rutschman is a three-time All-Star—including the nod he got this season—who earned a Silver Slugger and a First Team All-MLB selection back in 2023.
What position does he play?
Did you not just see the what I wrote at the start of the arti……whatever.
I won’t be rude.
Rutschman is primarily a catcher by trade but can also be slotted in as the designated hitter from time to time. I guess anyone could be slotted in as the designated hitter from time to time, but don’t be pedantic; you know what I mean.
Is he any good?
Yes. He has been “good” this season. How good he is might be a bit more of a complex question; I feel like I might be higher on him than the average bear, but his career has not exactly taken off in ways that we might’ve anticipated when he was picked by the O’s in 2019.
Leading up to Monday’s trade deadline, Rutschman has posted a .251/.331/.433 triple slash line in 284 plate appearances, good for a 115 OPS+. He doesn’t strike out a ton (about 14% of the time), he walks a healthy amount (almost 11% of the time), and his expected metrics show that 2026 hasn’t been a fluke for him. The switch-hitting backstop has paired eight home runs and 47 RBI on the year alongside stellar defense. Adley’s Fielding Run Value per Baseball Savant ranks within the 96th percentile across MLB, as he ranks among the league’s great-to-elite catchers when it comes to Blocks Above Average (three, for the 76th percentile), Caught Stealing Above Average (five, 100th percentile [!!!!]), and Framing(ham) (five, 93rd percentile).
2026 has marked a bounce back year for Rutschman, though, and that’s worth pointing out. Just about all of his under-the-hood metrics last season—xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, hard hit rate, you name it—were at best a league-average level in 2025, if not worse. In the two seasons following his All-MLB First Team campaign in 2023, Rutschman posted a .696 OPS in a not-so-small sample size of 1,003 plate appearances. His per 162 pace in that time was 18.5 doubles, 14 homers, and 54 RBI.
That’s very meh, yes, but 2026 might represent a rebound for him. I like Adley’s potential, and with another year of team control secured for 2027 (don’t say the L-word when talking about next season, I can’t think about that just yet….), this could be a bet on his renaissance-y season being legit. And even if this level of play doesn’t stick in the long-term, I think this represents a clear upgrade at the position as the dog days of summer commence and the regular season winds down. Red Sox catchers have collectively provided a .613 OPS this season and a 71 wRC+, according to StatMuse. Connor Wong has been…..fine…..at the plate, and other new Red Sox player Jake Rogers is a catcher who exists, but Rutschman can give you the best of both worlds as the Red Sox push for a pennant.
It’s worth noting that Rutschman is currently on Baltimore’s injured list due to a wrist issue. I’m not a doctor, but maybe you should monitor that. It’s his fourth time on the shelf this season, as he’s dealt with ankle, hamstring, and concussion issues as well. Please stay healthy, man.
What’s his role on the 2026 Red Sox?
He’s gotta be the everyday (or near everyday) catcher, no? I think that’s especially the case against right-haded pitchers, since Rutschman’s OPS is almost 100 points better against righties (.799 in 181 PAs) pitchers compared to lefties (.705 in 103 PAs). Mix that with the great defense behind the dish—a cornerstone characteristic of this iteration of the Red Sox—and it’s hard to imagine that we’re not seeing him slotted in as the catcher most games. How Connor Wong is mixed in moving forward is something that remains to be seen, but the upgrade is here.
Show me a cool highlight.
Remember when Adley did this against us earlier in the year? More of that, please!
Is he a fan of the hit Netflix sketch comedy show “I Think You Should Leave,” per chance?
Buddy, you’re never gonna believe this……
