The Baltimore Orioles tonight selected catcher Adley Rutschman from Oregon State University with the first overall selection of the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The Orioles also selected infielder Gunnar Henderson at No. 42 overall from John T. Morgan (Ala.) Academy and outfielder Kyle Stowers at No. 71 overall from Stanford University (Calif.). Rutschman, 21, led all of Division I with a .575 on-base percentage and 76 walks during his junior season. He was named the 2019...

The first night of the First-Year Player Draft found the Orioles select three position players in a catcher No. 1 overall followed by a high school shortstop and college center fielder. There were no pitchers selected yet by the Orioles and the draft began with the O's on the clock for the second time in team history. The club selected Oregon State junior catcher Adley Rutschman with the No. 1 pick. He became the first catcher taken 1/1 since Minnesota selected Joe Mauer in 2001. After his...

What seemed impossible only 10 days ago suddenly looks significantly more plausible today. Yes, the Nationals still face an incredibly daunting challenge as they try to turn their season all the way around, but they're actually taking steps in the right direction (with some help from the rest of the division). Winners of seven of their last nine, the Nats are finally starting to play a better brand of baseball and getting rewarded for it. And thanks to a suddenly freefalling Phillies club, the...

The Nationals' first-round selection in the First-Year Player Draft, right-hander Jackson Rutledge, said he was pretty excited when he got the news the Nationals had chosen him with the 17th pick in the draft. "Hearing my name called was kind of an out-of-body experience," Rutledge said. "It's something you dream of and it (did not) really hit me until it happened." General manager Mike Rizzo was equally excited to be able to select Rutledge and feels the big right-hander brings a lot to...

The Washington Nationals selected collegiate right-handed pitcher Jackson Rutledge with the No. 17 selection in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline and Director of Scouting Operations Eddie Longosz made the joint announcement. Rutledge, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound sophomore went 9-2 with a 0.87 ERA (8 ER/82.2 IP) and 134 strikeouts in 13 starts in...

The First-Year Player Draft resumes today with the Orioles launching the third-round selections at 1 p.m. It will continue through the 10th round and move much faster than last night's proceedings because there's no television coverage. Teams won't be on the clock. They'll just take their respective turns as the baseball gods intended. The Orioles will try to improve their pitching depth in the system. No one was worthy of the first selection, but they'll hunt for it in the later...

The Nationals selected Texas junior college right-hander Jackson Rutledge with the No. 17 selection in the first round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft. The 6-foot-8, 250-lb. Rutledge is rated as the No. 12 prospect in MLBPipeline.com's Top 200 prospects list. Rutledge features a 94-97 mph fastball that touches 99 mph, has a wipeout slider and a curveball with the classic 12-to-6 drop. Rutledge verbally committed to the University of Kentucky for baseball and hails from a suburb of St....

In a live interview tonight on "MASN All Access" coverage of the First-Year Player Draft, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias explained his reasons for making Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman the No. 1 pick. "Well, just the switch-hitter (aspect). A polished college bat," said Elias, minutes after making the selection. "The approach, the plus hit, plus power from both sides. Really, the mental makeup, I think, is a separator with him. He brings leadership...

The Baltimore Orioles tonight announced that they have selected catcher Adley Rutschman from Oregon State University with the first overall selection of the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Rutschman, 21, hit .411/.575/.751 (76-for-185) with 10 doubles, 17 home runs, 57 runs, 58 RBI, and 76 walks in 57 games during his junior season. He guided Oregon State to their 20th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. His .575 on-base percentage and 76 walks led all of Division...

The mocks didn't miss the mark. The Orioles were projected by numerous outlets to use the first-overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft tonight on Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman and that's exactly what they did, with the announcement coming on MLB Network. A round loaded with high-ceiling position players began with the Orioles selecting a catcher for the first time since Matt Wieters went fifth overall in 2007 out of Georgia Tech. They passed on Texas high school shortstop Bobby...