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Orioles All-Star fell woefully short of 2025 expectations

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Baltimore Orioles were arguably the most disappointing team in MLB during the 2025 season.

Nothing went right for the franchise right out of the gate. The concerns with their pitching staff turned out not to be high enough in spring training. Their starting rotation bombed out of the gate, contributing to the team getting stuck in a hole they could not climb out of.

At the very least, many thought that Baltimore's lineup, loaded with young talent, could help keep the team afloat. That ended up not happening, with the lineup significantly regressing overall.

The most concerning is almost certainly catcher Adley Rutschman, who has been in an extended slump since the second half of the 2024 campaign.

Rutschman, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, quickly made an impact in the big leagues upon being called up in 2022. He made the All-Star team in 2023 and 2024, and up to that point was living up to the lofty expectations that come with being selected that high.

Adley Rutschman fell well short of expectations in 2025

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Unfortunately, that production has disappeared. Rutschman not only hurt Baltimore with his output, but also torpedoed any chance that Fantasy Baseball managers who selected him had at competing in their league this year.

As shared by Eric Karabell of ESPN, the Orioles star was among the least valuable hitters in 2025. Managers selected him very early in drafts, with an ADP that was higher than Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres and Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds.

That proved to be a disastrous decision. Rutschman not only struggled to produce but also battled injuries throughout the year, including straining his left and right obliques. When he was on the field, he failed to put up the numbers managers had hoped for.

In a career-low 90 games and 365 plate appearances, the 27-year-old had a .220/.307/.366 slash line with an OPS+ of 90; it was the first time his OPS+ failed to be in triple digits. He had only nine home runs and 16 doubles with 29 RBI.

That was good for a finish of 39th amongst catchers in ESPN's Player Rater. Teams around the league had backups who provided more value in Fantasy Baseball than Rutschman did this year.

What does the future hold for Rutschman?

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Rutschman's future with the franchise is very much up in the air. The Orioles already signed star prospect Samuel Basallo to a long-term extension, signaling the belief they have in him to be their starting catcher of the future.

That could very well mean Rutschman hits the trade market this winter. If that is the route the team opts to take, there should be plenty of interest in him. Players of that caliber don’t just forget how to play.

Plenty of teams will operate under the assumption that a change of scenery will help him return to his All-Star ways.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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