The Baltimore Orioles made several notable improvements in 2022.
Just as they had been in 2012, the O’s were a surprise contender, winning 83 games and finishing right in the thick of the Wild Card race in the American League, just three games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the final spot.
Much of that success was thanks in large part to the emergence of stars such as Gunnar Henderson and Rookie of the Year finalist Adley Rutschman.
Rutschman took over the starting catcher job early in the season and helped guide the Orioles back into contention.
Needless to say, the Orioles have big plans for their young star.
According to General Manager Mike Elias, the Orioles plan on having Rutschman behind the plate as much as possible.
The Orioles' plan for Adley Rutschman in 2023 is to have him "catching as much as he can" without wearing him down, Mike Elias said. He said 120-125 games behind the plate would be the "upper bound" and any possibility of Rutschman playing some first base depends on the roster.
— Nathan Ruiz (@NathanSRuiz) December 7, 2022
Orioles Have A Plan For Rutschman
Elias went on to say that any plans of him playing first base at any point in the season would depend largely upon the construction of the team’s roster in 2023.
The Orioles have made it clear that they intend to compete in 2023 and take a shot at returning to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
That was their most recent winning season prior to 2022.
But with Rutschman, Henderson, Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, John Means, Ryan Mountcastle, and Austin Hays, the Orioles have a solid nucleus in place and a solid group of players that they can build around.
Rutschman is certainly going to be a key part of that as the Orioles attempt to build off of their success in 2022.
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