3 bold Adley Rutschman predictions after Red Sox trade

Rutschman was the No.1 pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Orioles after a stellar college career at Oregon State. He made his debut with the Orioles in the 2022 season and delivered a solid showing by slashing .254/362/.445 with 13 home runs and 42 runs batted in while playing 113 games.

The switch-hitting catcher made his first All-Star team in 2023 when he batted .277 with 20 home runs and 80 RBI. He had similar production numbers in 2024 with 19 home runs and 79 RBI and made his second All-Star team.

Rutschman’s offensive numbers slipped as he struggled with injuries a year and he had just 9 homers and 29 RBI while playing in 90 games. However, he has bounced back to this point in the season with 8 home runs and 47 RBI while slashing .251/.331/.433.

Injuries have limited him to 67 games, but he has been back in form when he has been in the lineup. He will provide a significant offensive upgrade.

The Red Sox have been getting clutch hits from Ceddanne Rafaela, Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin throughout their turnaround. That means Rutschman does not have to carry this team. All he has to do is take advantage of mistakes and come through with solid production.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow explained why he wanted to make a trade for Ruschman. “This was an opportunity for us,” Breslow said, per the Boston Globe. “In Adley you get impact on both sides of the ball. He’s a premium defender, a switch hitter, so he’s a great fit for our park. He doesn’t strike out. He walks and gets on base. He can hit for damage.”

Rutschman will provide a defensive upgrade and leadership

The Red Sox enjoyed a decent working partnership between Narvaez and Wong at catcher, but key hits between the duo were a rarity for the Red Sox. Rutschman is not likely to give the Red Sox the kind of offensive production that Cal Raleigh had last season (60 home runs) with the Mariners or Hunter Goodman has had this year (33 HRs) for the Rockies, but he will give the Red Sox a lift

However, there’s much more to his game than giving the team more offensive punch than they have received to this point. He is an excellent defensive catcher and he also has the kind of leadership skills that should allow him to make a big impression in the locker room.

Rutschman has the kind of defensive presence that fits in with the Red Sox. Baserunners have stolen 27 bases against him but he has thrown out 16. He has a .985 fielding percentage and has been as high as .996 in his career. He has made just one fielding error this season and four throwing errors.

When the Red Sox were able to finally break their 86-year dry spell when they beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series, they had a great leader in catcher Jason Varitek. Rutschman should be able to lead in a similar manner.

By trading for Rutschman at the beginning of August, he should get to know his new teammates fairly quickly and that will allow him to take on a key leadership role during the most crucial games of the season.