At this level of baseball, where starting pitchers are often limited to four to six innings per appearance, the second pitcher bridging the gap between the starter and closer takes on additional importance. Normally there is no “seventh inning guy” or “setup man” for these teams; instead the role almost becomes that of a secondary rotation featuring three or four pitchers rather than the six-man starting rotation favored by the Baltimore organization.
One pitcher who is absolutely thriving in this role is the Orioles’ sixth round selection from last year out of Samford University, Lex Rutledge. The 22-year-old Mississippi native has done an outstanding job since joining the Shorebirds in May.
I say “outstanding” based on the fact Lex has pitched 35 innings but allowed just 20 hits and 15 walks for a WHIP of exactly 1. That will play at any level, and the 4-2, 1.29 topline Rutledge is sporting backs up the fact he’s been a tough lefty to figure out for the SAL, which is batting just .165 off him and creates 2.65 ground outs for every fly ball out. The sinker is obviously working.
Rutledge was a valued commodity out of high school in Tupelo, Mississippi, so much so that the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 26th round of the 2009 draft. Instead, he opted for college baseball and was snatched up by the Orioles in 2012. Yet while he pitched well enough in the Gulf Coast League (0-1 but with a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings) Lex looked nowhere near as dominant at Aberdeen last year, going 0-3 with a frightening 9.49 ERA in six starts – none of which lasted more than 3 1/3 innings. So perhaps relief is a role he’s more comfortable in, although he has started twice for the Shorebirds and posted an incredible 13 strikeouts in five total innings. (His longest stint this season is four innings, pitching in relief.)
As a high draft pick, the question always becomes that of how soon the Orioles will move a player who excels with one of their lower level teams. Since he’s not used as a starter, he can fit into any bullpen role the organization may envision as they’re apparently not moving quickly to stretch him out to be a fulltime starting pitcher. And because he’s getting the outs both via the ground ball and the strikeout (fanning 38 in 35 innings so far) they may envision him as a late-inning reliever down the line. In either case, surely the Shorebirds are happy to have a shutdown guy in their bullpen.