If Major League Baseball’s reported plan to delay the start of all minor league seasons beneath Triple-A comes to fruition, it’s possible that when Adley Rutschman’s 2021 season officially begins, he will be nearly two full calendar years removed from the Orioles taking him first overall in the 2019 draft.
Baseball America reported last week that MLB informed teams that spring training for players in Double-A and lower won’t begin until major league and Triple-A players have completed their preseason work at the facilities, part of an effort to avoid gatherings and manage spacing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.