A New Team Has Emerged With MLB’s Best Catching Duo
As the Orioles fight back into postseason contention, the backstop tandem of Rutschman and Basallo are helping lead the charge.
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After a great end to the month of May, the Baltimore Orioles are moving full steam ahead in an effort to get back into the playoff conversation.
Each facet of the game looked much improved during the team’s 10-game homestand at the end of May. Starting pitchers like Kyle Bradish and Shane Baz took massive strides, while the lineup started producing more consistently.
At the center of the Orioles’ rejuvenated offense is the backstop tandem of Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo. With Rutschman coming off an injury-plagued 2025 and Basallo participating in his first full season, a lot of questions surrounded the duo entering the season.
Flash forward to nearly the middle of June, and the duo is helping create a balanced approach for an O’s team that is looking to rebound heading into the dog days of summer.
Stats were taken prior to play on June 8.
Welcome Back, Adley
After an offseason filled with so many changes, one of the largest wild cards facing the team was whether Rutschman could stay healthy and produce. Part of the reason why the Orioles have struggled in the past two years is because Rutschman has dealt with injury after injury.
The injury bug started in June of 2024 when Rutschman took a foul ball of his throwing hand while catching a game against the Rangers. While Rutschman did not go on IL, a .300/.351/.830 slash line before that game on June 27 crumbled to a .189/.297/.280 slash line the rest of the 2024 season.
In 2025, Rutschman missed over two months of the season with two separate IL stints for both a left and right oblique strain. As a switch hitter, those kind of injuries take a significant chunk out of what’s possible at the plate.
So, with Basallo on his heels and a year and a half of poor production at the plate, the 28-year-old became the center of trade talks for an O’s team that needed work. It was thought that the former first-overall pick needed a change of scenery to find his groove.
Despite all of that noise, the former Oregon State Beaver has revitalized himself in 2026 and is leading this team out of their early-season hole.
On the year, the backstop is slashing .267/.343/.489 in addition to 36 RBIs, similar to what he produced in 2023 when he was the starting catcher in the All-Star Game.
If the slash line is not enough for you, Rutschman’s performance on June 5 in Toronto was a signature moment for the former No. 1 prospect.
On top of the offensive resurgence, Rutschman has also reestablished himself as one of the best defensive catchers in the game.
According to Baseball Savant, the backstop is in the 98th percentile with a +7 fielding run value, the same percentile as when he was AL Rookie of they Year runner-up to Julio Rodriguez in 2022.
The most notable improvement the 28-year-old has made in 2026 is his efficiency in throwing runners out on the basepaths.
Despite missing some time with earlier this year with an ankle injury, Rutschman leads the league in runners caught stealing (11) and ranks fourth in caught-stealing percentage at 39%. That would be a career-high in caught-stealing percentage.
Rutschman has also set the benchmark for framing in 2026 with catcher framing runs rating of +5, tied for the league lead along with Brandon Valenzuela and Dillon Dingler.
The Golden Spikes winner and former No. 1 overall prospect has gotten back to doing what Orioles fans have long been waiting for. Rutschman has not only become a key piece for Baltimore, but he has reentered the conversation as one of the best catchers in MLB.
The Rookie Is Making a Name for Himself
In addition to Rutschman, the Orioles have another weapon behind the plate in Samuel Basallo.
Calling the 21-year-old a backup catcher is both a disservice to Basallo and unfair for other backup catchers across the league. How many backup catchers can say they own an .815 OPS along with a top-10 wRC+ at the position?
I’ll tell you: none.
The sophomore slugger has had a fantastic start to the year. The former top-10 prospect owns a .267/.332/.483 slash line with nine home runs and 26 RBIs. It is clear to see why the Orioles locked Basallo up to a long-term deal last season.
While his opportunities at the plate in 2025 were limited, the lefty has made enormous strides at the plate. It was only a matter of time before the youngster found his mojo.
At just 21 years old, Basallo owns a 92.3 mph average exit velocity, good enough for the 90th percentile across MLB. The lefty is also at or near the 80th percentile in expected batting average, expected slugging percentage, hard-hit rate, and average bat speed.
Basallo’s month of May would have fans unfamiliar with his talents thinking he was a seasoned vet, not someone playing in their first full season of major-league ball.
As Basallo wows fans with impressive offensive numbers, the backstop has also been above average at throwing out attempted base stealers. His 1.93-second pop time has led to six caught runners on the year.
While the former top prospect definitely has room to improve with strikeouts and chase rate, as well as blocking and framing behind the plate, Basallo’s performance so far should show fans that he has many floors to go before reaching his ceiling.
Final Thoughts
Having two stars at the same position is a good problem to have in the major leagues. Most teams in the league would trade a substantial amount of capital to have either one of these guys on their team.
As the Orioles continue to work their way back from a rough start to the year, having both guys in the lineup is crucial. However, keeping the duo healthy so they are ready for a potential playoff run is equally as important.
With Rutschman’s lengthy injury history and Basallo taking on a full-season workload, Albernaz must pull the correct strings to put his players in the position to succeed without burning them out.
If the duo is able to stay on the field, the Orioles have quite the weapon to compete for an American League wild-card spot.
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Written by
Tommy is an avid fan of baseball, especially in the Charm City. Tommy covers the Orioles for Just Baseball with the dream of working full time…