Jun 26, 2018; Omaha, NE, USA; Oregon State Beavers catcher Adley Rutschman (35) singles in the fourth inning against the Arkansas Razorbacks in game one of the championship series of the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Photo Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman was the No. 1 overall selection by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2019 MLB Draft on Monday night at Secaucus, N.J.
The switch-hitting Rutschman batted .411 with 17 homers and 58 RBIs in 57 games for the Beavers this season as a junior.
Rutschman is the first catcher to be selected at the top of the draft since the Minnesota Twins tabbed Joe Mauer in 2001. He was rated the No. 1 prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline and by ESPN’s Keith Law.
“It is everything I’ve always dreamed of,” Rutschman said at the site of the draft. “This is an unbelievable moment, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
The Kansas City Royals selected high school shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. with the second pick. Witt was the Gatorade National Player of the Year, and he was rated the No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline and the No. 3 prospect by ESPN’s Law.
The Chicago White Sox tabbed college first baseman Andrew Vaughn of California with the third choice. The Miami Marlins selected slugging outfielder J.J. Bleday of Vanderbilt with the fourth pick. Outfielder Riley Greene of Hagerty High in Oviedo, Fla., went fifth overall to the Detroit Tigers.
The Orioles had the first pick for the first time since 1989, when they chose right-hander Ben McDonald. They were sold on Rutschman to be part of their rebuilding process, and Rutschman is impressed by what he sees from the organization.
“I really like the leadership at the top,” Rutschman said. “I think they’re headed in a great direction. I’m really excited to play for them.”
Former Oregon State coach Pat Casey was on site and told MLB.com that Rutschman will be a multi-time All-Star.
“What a moment for an unbelievable kid and an unbelievable player,” Casey said. “This guy is the complete package. He can hit, he can defend, and the intangibles are just off the chart. He will handle any pitching staff, he will make pitchers better.”
Witt is the son of former major league pitcher Bobby Witt, who went third overall in the 1985 draft. The elder Witt went 142-157 with a 4.83 ERA in 16 big-league seasons with seven clubs.
“He’s been there always for me growing up and throwing me (batting practice),” said the younger Witt, who played for Colleyville (Texas) Heritage High School. “It’s been a blessing to have him in my life, and now I have him beat — 2 over 3.”
The Witts surpassed the Grieves — Tom (sixth overall, 1966) and Ben (second overall, 1994) — to become baseball’s highest-drafted father-son duo.
Vaughn was the 2018 winner of the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top amateur player. He is one of four finalists for the 2019 award. Vaughn, rated as the No. 2 prospect by ESPN’s Law and the No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, batted .381 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs as a junior for Cal.
Bleday, rated fifth by MLB Pipeline and seventh by ESPN’s Law, led the nation with 26 homers and batted .353 with 68 RBIs as a junior.
Greene, a left-handed hitter, is the sixth-ranked prospect by both ESPN’s Law and MLB Pipeline. He batted .422 as a high school senior.
With the sixth pick, the San Diego Padres selected shortstop CJ Abrams from Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell, Ga. That mean no pitchers went in the top six picks in the draft for the first time ever.
TCU junior left-hander Nick Lodolo went No. 7 to the Cincinnati Reds. Texas Tech junior third baseman Josh Jung was chosen eighth by the Texas Rangers.
Baylor junior Shea Langeliers became the second catcher chosen when he went No. 9 to the Atlanta Braves. The San Francisco Giants rounded out the top 10 by drafting Arizona State junior outfielder Hunter Bishop, the brother of Seattle Mariners outfielder Braden Bishop.
Clemson shortstop Logan Davidson, the son of former big-league outfielder Mark Davidson, was selected 29th overall by the Oakland A’s.
