Rutledge is a college reliever that could help quickly.
Don’s Thoughts: Lex Rutledge just screams power arm, and has a nasty curve with bite that shows drop off the table movement. His fastball has sneaky life and he mixes in both a curve and slider.
He really does one thing: throw hard. People will knock on his command and control, but the kid is set for short relief and this is the reason.
You cannot teach his mentality and the ability to pound it inside. I think his slot and style should be an effective handicap for left handed hitters.
I had him hit 96 mph at the cape last summer, 95 mph in spring, and he offset that with two sharp breaking pitches. If he can curb the walks, he will be an effective bullpen arm for the Orioles.
Scouting Report:
MLB.com
College lefties are always in high demand, and a southpaw reliever who might be able to help quickly will always do well on Draft Day. Rutledge is exactly that type. He has three pitches that could be Major League average at times. The best is his future plus curve, a strikeout pitch that can buckle knees. Rutledge’s fastball tops out at around 91 mph, and he also throws a solid slider. He goes right after hitters and has the right mentality for a short relief role. If anything, he can be too aggressive. The main knock against Rutledge is his overall command. When he gets too ramped up, he tends to overthrow and then can’t consistently locate his pitches. If he can stay within himself on the mound, a future as a left-handed setup man is certainly possible.
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