Bautista, Cano, Hays, Rutschman named O's All-Stars

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles’ strong first half to the 2023 season has been recognized in a major way.

For the first time since 2016, Baltimore -- which improved to 49-33 with Sunday’s 2-1 win over Minnesota -- is sending multiple players to the All-Star Game. There won’t just be two O’s representatives at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on July 11, though. Or even only three.

Four Orioles players were named 2023 All-Stars on Sunday -- closer Félix Bautista, setup man Yennier Cano, outfielder Austin Hays and catcher Adley Rutschman. Each of the quartet received the honor for the first time, despite all having different paths to reach this point.

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“How about that? So cool,” manager Brandon Hyde said after rattling off the names of his team’s All-Stars to the media on Sunday. “We had a team meeting this morning, and it was my pleasure to let those guys know. All four great stories. I’m super proud of all of those guys.”

This is how each of these All-Stars made it here:

Bautista and Cano: The surprise stories
The stories of Bautista and Cano are tied together because of their similar unexpected paths to the big leagues.

Bautista, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, began the ‘21 season at High-A Aberdeen. He didn’t make his MLB debut until he was 26 on April 10, 2022. The 6-foot-8 right-hander is now the Orioles’ closer, a role he assumed after Jorge López was traded to the Twins at last year’s Trade Deadline.

Not only that, but Bautista has been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. He has a 1.16 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and 22 saves in 37 appearances this season, racking up 79 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings.

“To tell you the truth, leading up to 2021, there were some doubts still in my mind,” Bautista said via O’s team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “Thankfully, that year, I was able to break out a little bit, and ever since then, I’ve felt a lot more comfortable.”

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While Bautista was Baltimore’s biggest surprise performer of 2022, Cano has earned that title for ‘23. The 29-year-old right-hander didn’t begin his pro career until he was 25, arriving from Cuba when he signed with the Twins in ‘19. He was one of four Minor League pitchers acquired by the Orioles in the López trade last August.

Cano, who had an 11.50 ERA in 13 big league appearances last season, didn’t break camp with Baltimore out of Spring Training this year. Now, the 6-foot-4 righty is among the best setup men in the Majors, having pitched to a 1.12 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 40 1/3 innings over 34 appearances in 2023.

“I was just focused on doing my work, taking care of business, having a good season overall,” Cano said via interpreter Quinones. “Just really happy that it paid off and baseball gave this back to me.”

Hays: A pre-rebuild carryover
The Orioles’ roster has undergone plenty of turnover since general manager Mike Elias and Hyde were hired following the 2018 season. But Hays has been here through it all as a ‘16 third-round Draft pick out of Jacksonville University who made his big league debut in ‘17.

Early in his managerial tenure, Hyde said he saw “flashes” of the type of hitter Hays could become. But the outfielder never put it all together in the big leagues, partially due to numerous injuries early in his career. He didn’t play more than 33 games in a season until 2021.

Hays has developed into a stable lineup fixture in Baltimore. He earned his All-Star nod by posting a .312/.352/.491 slash line in 76 games while collecting 22 doubles, two triples, eight homers and 34 RBIs.

“The team’s turned it around, we’re playing a lot better baseball, we’re winning a lot more games,” Hays said. “So to be an All-Star on a good team definitely means a lot.”

Rutschman: The up-and-coming face of the franchise
It’s no surprise Rutschman is already heading to the All-Star Game in his second MLB season. The 25-year-old catcher has been destined for success since he was selected by the Orioles with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Oregon State University.

Last year, Rutschman lived up to all the hype and anticipation that came with being MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect, arriving to the big leagues on May 21, 2022. Perhaps he could have been named an All-Star as a rookie if his start to the season hadn’t been delayed by a right triceps strain. He still went on to finish second in AL Rookie of the Year Award voting.

This year, Rutschman has constructed a strong first half to his sophomore campaign. He’s slashing .268/.374/.415 with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 35 RBIs in 79 games. And now, the Portland, Ore., native is heading back to the Pacific Northwest as an All-Star, only a little more than 13 months after his big league debut.

“It’s something that I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid,” Rutschman said. “Just to be able to have it at any time is a blessing. I’m fortunate to be in the position I’m in.”