2019 draft class proving to be franchise changer for Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles took three out of four games from the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend to take over first place in the American League East, and it was their young duo of Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson that led the way.

That duo has been driving a lot of Baltimore's success this season, and they were both part of a franchise-changing 2019 draft class. 

In fact, they were Baltimore's top-two picks in that class, with Rutschman going No. 1 overall and Henderson being picked with the No. 42 overall pick.

That draft class has rapidly jumpstarted the team's rebuild.

The Orioles lost at least 100 games in three times from 2018-21, with the 60-game 2020 season being the only year they were able to avoid it. Those down years produced some prime draft picks, and they really hit the mark with the 2019 class.

Both players made their major league debuts in 2022 and helped the Orioles surge down the stretch to finish with a winning record (83-79) and set the foundation for this year's club that has become a serious contender in the American League.

Rutschman is one of the rarest and most valuable assets in baseball as a power-hitting catcher. He is already accumulated 7.5 Wins Above Replacement (via Baseball Reference) in his first 208 games in the majors. That is MVP-level play over a full season.

Henderson has been nearly equally impactful and spent the weekend making a huge impact at the plate and in the field. 

Below is an example of his defensive exploits this weekend.