Inside The Orioles

Watch: Orioles Star Silences Doubters With Monster Home Run In First At-Bat

The Baltimore Orioles star catcher proves that he is back to his normal self with a home run in his first at-bat of the season.
Dylan Sanders|
Mar 20, 2025; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) runs around the bases after a three-run home run during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Ed Smith Stadium.
Mar 20, 2025; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) runs around the bases after a three-run home run during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Ed Smith Stadium. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles were one of the first games to start on Opening Day, and one of their stars didn't waste any time getting his season going.

In the top of the first inning, the second batter of the game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman unloaded for his first home run of the year.

Jose Berrios left a changeup hanging over the middle of the plate in a 2-1 count, which the young catcher took advantage of and sent flying 436 feet.

It wasn't the first home run of the Major League season, but it was the third.

It was also dream start to the year for Rutschman after his nightmare close to the season in 2024.

He looked like his old self again during spring training, but proved his resurgence to be real just a couple of pitches into 2025.

Rutschman had gotten off to a great start to his career with a .268/.369/.439 slash line, 33 home runs and a 129 OPS+ over his first two seasons.

While his third year started off similarly, he was one of the players who fell off a cliff in the second half.

Over the final 58 games, he had a .207/.282/.303 line with three home runs and an OPS+ of just 66.

It would be unwise to have thought that was going to be what Rutschman had become at the plate going forward, but it was still encouraging to see him not carry that cold streak up to the plate this season.

He gave Baltimore the early lead against the Blue Jays on Opening Day.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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