The Orioles Have The Most Productive Catching Tandem In MLB. Here's Why 1 Should Be Dealt By The Deadline

The Orioles have failed to make substantial gains in most of the ways that have contributed to two years of losing baseball in Baltimore.

They continue to suffer from low IQ play, their defense has been awful, the situation hitting is poor, they swing and miss too much and there are some legit holes in the rotation and bullpen. But that’s The Mike Elias Way.

One element that absolutely had to improve immensely if this team was going to be even pedestrian in 2026 (and they are) was the productivity from the catcher position. Former first-overall pick Adley Rutschman, eligible to hit the open market after the 2027 season, had to bounce back mentally and physically from two seasons in the abyss and rookie phenom Samuel Basallo had to be given a decent runway to also show what he can do.

And what the switch-hitting Rutschman and left-handed slugging Basallo have teamed up to do has been as consistent and substantial as anyone could have hoped for. What Basallo has shown he can handle has been extraordinary and with any hope for an extension with Rutschman likely long ago expunged, his return to form should have him dangled ahead of the July trade deadline.

Exceeding Expectations Behind The Plate

Basallo has shown more poise and understanding helping call a game – especially for veteran pitchers – than could have been expected given how little he actually caught in the minors. He has a large frame with long levers that can create some issues blocking, but he’s clearly making gains there, and his plus-pus arm is already becoming a deterrent to even the speediest base stealers. He has been steady at the plate despite not seeing as many at bats as you’d like, and he’s come through in clutch spots even when asked to come off the bench.

“It’s been awesome to watch,” former catcher and rookie manager Craig Albernaz said of Basallo after he caught Shane Baz’s seven-inning gem this week. “We constantly talk about he’s only 21 years old. He didn’t have a ton of reps in the minor leagues and rightfully so, because he just outperformed the minor leagues.

“And there’s going to be growing pains with him, but also the talent’s real and the way he can learn on the fly and adjust it’s really impressive what he can do, especially navigating a game at the big-league level.”

Rutschman’s stunning regression at the plate got a lot of attention, but for a supposedly generational catcher who some scouts said was MLB-ready behind the plate at the time he was drafted, watching him suffer throwing runners out and having them routinely take third base on him was fairly brutal. His blocking also slipped, especially at the bottom of the strike zone.

Consider that from 2024-205 Rutschman threw out just 18% of base stealers, ranking 39th among all catchers, with a caught stealing above average rating of -1 (36th). This season he is throwing out 36% (9th) and has a +3 CS above average score, tied for third-best in MLB. His blocking has suffered a bit at times, but he’s presented himself overall at a level defensively unlike we’ve seen in years.

Mashing At The Plate

What this duo is doing in the batters box is special.

Here’s where Orioles catchers ranked entering the Toronto series Thursday, compared to what they compiled a year ago:

Home Runs: 12 (1st) 2025: 21 (10th)

RBIs: 40 (1st) 2025: 67 (18th)

Doubles: 15 (T-1st) 2025: 26 (16th)

OBP: .331 (7th) 2025: .271 (27th)

SLG: .512 (1st) 2025: .356 (21st)

OPS: .843 (1st) 2025: .627 (22nd)

Total Bases: 110 (1st) 2025: 204 (23rd)

There is far too much invested in this position for this not to be a strength and both catchers have made the case for batting in the middle of the order whenever deployed. Both can play first base – Basallo is actually quite good there – but the signing of Pete Alonso – HYPER – has blocked that option for the most part, something both Orioles Hall of Fames Mike Bordick and longtime MLB exec Jim Duquette have commented on recently on “The Daily Flock” as being less than ideal.

Elias needs to let Basallo see more lefties - “Basallo needs to be in the lineup five days a week and so does Adley,’" Duquette told me – and nothing seems to big for this kid, going back to being asked to pinch hit with the bases loaded at Fenway Park last year in a game in which he frankly should have started (a problem that persists).

Rutschman leads the team with an .878 OPS with runners on base - HYPER and Basallo is third among all Orioles with at least 50 at bats in those situations, at .808. (Of course, Leody Taveras is second at .874). These two can anchor an offense – though given the over-arching issues with the Orioles organization and how far this staff is from being playoff worthy I’d still be shopping Adley ahead of deadline – and will be a pillar for this team.

But Basallo is going to have the chops to stay behind the dish, he isn’t even close to his prime yet and he’s the only position player in the entire org signed long-term. He is the ongoing face of this (sadly) perpetual rebuild. He needs to be given all the shine and all the opportunity, and says here he’ll never spend two seasons lost in the box and at the plate and largely avoiding the media like the guy he shares the catching duties with.

With labor unrest growing and the 2027 season in jeopardy - certainly a full season not guaranteed - and the Orioles still fundamentally unsound and in a hole, it's time to get real about the future here with Elias's first ever draft pick. A baseball executive who has been an utter failure and totally clueless with in-season trades or understanding how to sell high on players, had best change his ways now.

"Certainly, with a year-and-a-half left (on his contract) at the deadline, he's going to be close to peak value to trade," Duquette said. "The big question is do you believe in what you're going to get back."

Ideally, anyone other than Elias and his crew would be executing the trade, but it simply must be explored.

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