Adley Rutschman Can't Afford Another Down Season With Orioles

Baltimore Orioles fans have got to be feeling good about how their roster looks heading into the 2026 season.

While there are some question marks with the starting pitching staff and the team's bullpen, nobody can deny that the offense looks electric right now. In addition to bringing star sluggers like Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward on board, the expectation is that many of the team's young and talented hitters will bounce back from mediocre 2025 campaigns.

The most notable of these would be Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. Henderson has long since proven to be one of the game's best shortstops, but he was dealing with injuries that limited his impact, and has already appeared to prove that he's back to his world-class form after his 2026 World Baseball Classic.

The same can't be said for Rutschman, who finished the 2025 campaign with a .220 average and a .673 OPS in 90 games played.

Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman | Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images

While every player is due for a down season every once in a while, 2025 marked the second straight year in which Rutschman's offensive production declined considerably. It has now been two full seasons since he was an above-average hitter.

And while Rutschman also deserves some slack because of injuries, he's in a different position heading into 2026 than he has been at any point in his career — because of Samuel Basallo.

Samuel Basallo Could Usurp Adley Rutschman's Orioles Role

It's no secret that Basallo is a catcher, the Orioles' top prospect, and signed to a long-term deal last year shortly after making his MLB debut. The expectation is that Basallo and Rutschman will both get plenty of opportunities this year, but the question is how long of a leash Rutschman will get as the team's primary backstop if he isn't producing at the plate and Basallo is?

Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

There was some speculation that Rutschman could be on the trade block last winter. While Baltimore's President of Baseball Operations, Mike Elias, didn't seem to seriously consider dealing him, that could quickly change if Basallo outperforms him before the trade deadline and the Orioles' season underwhelms again.

Ultimately, there's still a good chance that Rutschman will return to being one of baseball's best two-way catchers this season, and his doing so would be a huge benefit to Baltimore. But if he struggles for a third straight year, Rutschman's glory days will seem like a long time ago.

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