Boston Red Sox
Adley Rutschman is a former No. 1 pick and college football player who should upgrade Boston’s catching corps moving forward.
The Red Sox paid a steep price to bring in Adley Rutschman. Justin Berl/Getty Images
August 3, 2026 | 5:29 PM
5 minutes to read
Reinforcements are on the way for an already red-hot Red Sox team, with Boston acquiring catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles ahead of Monday’s MLB trade deadline.
As part of the deal, the Red Sox are sending Carlos Narvaez and prospects Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar, and a player to be named later or cash considerations to Baltimore in exchange for Rutschman, catcher Jake Rogers, and cash considerations.
Rutschman, 28, has a few question marks regarding his health and offensive upside, at least when weighed against the expectations set upon him when he first arrived in the majors in 2022.
Adley Rutschman now has three home runs in two games since returning from a sprained ankle!
He’s hitting .341 with a 1.120 OPS in 12 games this year
pic.twitter.com/PrTJG7zwlt
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 25, 2026
But, the three-time All-Star still stands as a significant boost to a Red Sox club that has won 28 out of its last 33 games since June 25.
Here are five things to know about Boston’s new backstop:
It’s hard to ignore the lack of production that Boston has received from the catcher spot going into the stretch run of the 2026 season.
The duo of Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong hasn’t exactly moved the needle offensively this season for Boston. They’ve combined for just a .219 batting average and four total home runs at that position.
Rutschman should serve as a welcome remedy as a poised big-league hitter who brings some pop to the lineup and strong plate discipline.
He’s been limited to just 67 games this season due to several injuries, but Rutschman has had a bounce-back year at the plate, slashing .251/.331/.433 with eight homers, an 11 percent walk rate, and a 14 percent strikeout rate.
According to Baseball Savant, Rutschman’s whiff percentage of 15.8 percent ranks in the 91st percentile this season, while his walk rate of 10.6 percent ranks in the 70th percentile.
The switch-hitting Rutschman projects as a pull hitter who could take advantage of the short left field at Fenway Park, even though his numbers at Boston’s ballpark don’t necessarily leap off the page (.239 batting average, three home runs, and 15 RBI over 28 career games at Fenway).
Unlike other rumored catchers on the trade market, like Liam Hicks or Hunter Goodman, who would have bolstered Boston’s lineup but at the cost of some lackluster defensive metrics, Rutschman has held court as one of the league’s better defensive catchers since entering the league.
Even with his limited playing time this season, Rutschman ranks in the 100th percentile of catchers in terms of caught stealing above average (5), 96th percentile in fielding run value (9), and 93rd percentile of catcher framing, per Baseball Savant.
Rutschman, who is under team control through the 2027 season, fits the profile for a Red Sox team that has placed a heavy emphasis on defense this year — while also shoring up a critical flaw when it comes to proven production at the catcher position.
He was the No. 1 pick in 2019 MLB Draft
Rutschman was expected to be a franchise pillar for the Orioles, especially after Baltimore selected him with the first pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He was the first catcher to go first overall in a draft since Joe Mauer in 2001.
His lofty draft pedigree was warranted that summer, even with Royals superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. ultimately going second overall in that same draft.
Rutschman was a dominant player at Oregon State, helping the Beavers win the 2018 College World Series as a sophomore after batting .408 with nine home runs and 83 RBI. He was named College World Series Most Outstanding Player after setting a College World Series record with 17 hits — to go along with 13 RBI in the series.
During his junior campaign in 2019, Rutschman took home the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the country after slashing .411/.575/.751 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Rutschman lived up to his potential during his first few seasons in Baltimore, finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 behind Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez before finishing ninth in AL MVP voting in 2023 after slashing .277/.374/.435 with 20 home runs and 80 RBI while posting strong defensive metrics.
But, injuries and offensive decline have hampered some of Rutschman’s standing as one of the premier catchers in the league.
In 2025, Rutschman batted just .220 with nine home runs and 29 RBI over 90 games, while his bounce-back campaign this summer has been marred by three stints on the injured list.
He tackled a future NFL star in college
Rutschman was more than just a baseball star at Oregon State.
He was also an impressive two-sport athlete while growing up in Oregon, kicking a state-record 63-yard field goal as a senior at Sherwood High School in 2015.
Rutschman went on to play football at Oregon State during his freshman year, averaging 59.5 yards per kick with 20 touchbacks as a placekicker.
He also recorded one tackle during that freshman year, taking down Stanford standout and future NFL star Christian McCaffrey after the dynamic running back broke through the Beavers’ kick-return coverage during a game in California in November 2016.
If Andy Borregales labors this upcoming season in Foxborough, Rutschman could be called upon for some double-duty work this fall.
He has dealt with injuries over the last two seasons
The Red Sox paid a steep price to bring in Rutschman, giving up two of their top pitching prospects in Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon for a veteran currently under contract through the 2027 season.
Granted, Rutschman should address a critical need for Boston — especially when it comes to generating offense from the catcher position.
But, Rutschman’s health is something worth monitoring, especially given his dip in play over the last few seasons.
Rutschman has already been on the IL three times this season due to ankle inflammation, a concussion, and wrist inflammation — with the latter keeping him on the shelf as of Monday.
According to MLB.com, Rutschman was “on track to start a Minor League rehab assignment as early as this week,” which could signal that he should be in Boston’s lineup at some point in the near future.
Still, Rutschman has only played in 157 out of a possible 264 games over the last two seasons.
After slashing .302/.356/.552 with five home runs and 21 RBI over his first 26 games of the season, Rutschman is only batting .219 with three home runs and 26 RBI over his last 41 games prior to landing back on the IL.
He had one of the best games of his big-league career at Fenway Park
While Rutschman hasn’t historically torched his new team at Fenway Park over the years, he did start the 2023 season with a bang in Boston.
On Opening Day at Fenway Park on March 30, 2023, Rutschman was a thorn in the side of the Red Sox — going 5-for-5 at the plate with a home run, a walk, and 4 RBIs to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 10-9 win.
Rutschman hit a leadoff home run against Corey Kluber to open the game, and reached base six total times. The Baltimore catcher was the first catcher in MLB history to record five hits on Opening Day, and was the first player ever to go 5-for-5 with 4 RBIs in a season opener.
“There have been a lot of great players that have worn this uniform,” former Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said of Rutschman after that season-opening win. “It’s not going to be the only time you’re going to say that about Adley. He’s going to be doing other things that are going to be firsts as well, because he’s just a super special player, a really good hitter.”
Adley Rutschman went 5-5 with a homer, a walk, and 4 RBIs on Opening Day against Corey Kluber and the Red Sox in 2023.
First catcher in MLB history to record 5 hits on Opening Day.
First player in MLB history to go 5-5 with 4 RBIs on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/nJJMWZntLD
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) August 3, 2026
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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