In 2019 alone, the switch-hitting Rutschman has boasted a .411/.575/.751 slash line while blasting 17 home runs with 58 RBIs. He also made headlines during the Beavers’ NCAA Tournament game against Cincinnati in the Corvallis Regional, when the Bearcats — up 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh — opted to walk him with the bases loaded and no outs instead of risking him driving home multiple runs. (Cincy later won the game 7-6).
MORE: Complete picks for 2019 MLB Draft
And for those who still aren’t convinced Rutschman is an athletic freak of nature, here’s a reminder that he once set an Oregon high school record with a 63-yard field goal.
That kick came Nov. 13, 2015, in the second round of the Oregon Class 6A football playoffs. Rutschman, then a senior, wasn’t playing at his usual positions of running back/linebacker “because of a sore neck” as noted by The Oregonian. To make up for it, he blasted the long-range field goal for Sherwood High School at the end of the half, part of a 41-20 win for the Bowmen.
So, to recap: Rutschman is not only the clear best talent available in the 2019 MLB Draft, but also has a future in kicking if he ever decides he wants to try that out (hey, it seems to have worked out so far for Kyler Murray).
