It was only one game, so I'm not going to overreact, but Boston Red Sox fans should be happy with what they saw out of Adley Rutschman on Tuesday.
In the 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston's new catcher went 1-for-3 at the plate, drew two walks, and did a great job of working the count against Dylan Cease, one of the best pitchers in the game today.
Rutschman looked comfortable, which is impressive on its own considering that it was his first game with the Red Sox (on the road, no less), and he had previously been out of action for three weeks due to wrist inflammation.
Boston acquired Rutschman to provide a big upgrade at catcher. And while it's very, very, very early, the 28-year-old is already showing that he can become exactly that.
Adley Rutschman should only help the Red Sox moving forward
Even though the Red Sox have come back down to earth after their red-hot July (they are 6-4 in August), they are still a legitimate contender worth keeping an eye on. They have an elite pitching staff and an improved offense, and they should be able to make some noise in a weak American League.
However, they clearly still had some big weaknesses to address ahead of this year's trade deadline, and they did just that by trading for Rutschman.
For most of the season, Boston has relied on a combination of Connor Wong (who is fine, but he's not a World Series-level catcher), Carlos Narvaez (great defensively, but he hit .187 in 171 at-bats this season), and Mickey Gasper (who is already back in the minors and has probably played his final game for the Red Sox).
Given that the Red Sox actually have championship aspirations now, it was obvious they needed to improve their catching situation, and Rutschman was as good an upgrade as they were going to get. And having someone like him not only bolsters their lineup, but it takes a lot of pressure off of guys like Willson Contreras, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, etc.
The three-time All-Star is one of the best defensive catchers in the league, and he is no slouch at the plate either (he's a career .254 hitter with 69 career home runs and 277 RBIs -- offensively, he's probably the Red Sox' best catcher since Jason Varitek, maybe even Victor Martinez). Plus, at 28 years old, he can help this team compete now and for the long haul.
Fans should be excited about what Rutschman brings to the table, especially since he greatly bolsters the Red Sox' roster on both sides. As Boston looks to make some noise the rest of the way, the Oregon native will be a big part of its success.
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