Adley Rutschman didn’t know the numbers — and why should he? — but when he was informed of the discrepancy between his production as a catcher and a designated hitter, he was stumped.

His career numbers as a designated hitter have always slightly outweighed what he’s done as a catcher, and perhaps that’s because of sample size. He’s often catching, so he has more statistical data present when batting as a catcher. And when — as it was in 2022 and 2023 — the numbers only slightly favor Rutschman as a designated hitter, there’s not much to consider.

But, over the first half of 2024, the difference is stark. And there is no answer as to why.

“I don’t put a ton of stock into a half-a-year sample, if a guy is swinging the bat better as a DH or not.”

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde

In 31 games as the designated hitter, Rutschman is hitting .352 with a .996 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. In 60 games as a catcher, Rutschman is hitting .232 with a .662 OPS. He has eight home runs each as a catcher and a designated hitter. (The games total 91, rather than 90, because he played both catcher and designated hitter in one game.)

Given that data, Rutschman and manager Brandon Hyde figure it must be coincidental.

“It’s tough. OPS is tough, too, because you have one good game — if I have that 5-for-5 game when I’m catching, then it’s like, all of a sudden, stats jump so much,” Rutschman said. “I’ve always liked catching from the standpoint where you feel like you’re going into at-bats and you don’t think about it so much, because you’re already thinking about the game behind the plate. You’re already locked in, instead of DH where you have to lock in, OK, then go back in. It’s one of those things that go back and forth. But I’ve never felt like, catching-wise, I’ve felt a discrepancy.”

Rutschman is right. A few of his best games this season have come as a designated hitter, so he receives a stat bump in that regard. His 5-for-5 game against the Houston Astros came as a DH. He hit two homers in one game as a designated hitter in June but did the same as a catcher in May.

Plus, Rutschman often serves as the designated hitter against left-handed pitching, when Rutschman hits right-handed. He’s hitting .378 as a righty compared to .225 as a lefty batter. That coincides, largely, with the designated hitter-to-catcher variation. He is hitting better as a righty, and he’s a righty more often as a designated hitter.

Rutschman has gone hitless in 27 of his 90 games this season. Only in six of those hitless games did the 26-year-old serve as a designated hitter; the other 21 were as a catcher. He experienced the same, to a lesser extent, in 2022 and 2023. As a rookie, Rutschman hit .289 as a designated hitter and .245 as a catcher. Last year, he hit .284 as a designated hitter and .276 as a catcher.

Is there something to not crouching all game? Are his legs fresher as a designated hitter, thus allowing his swing to feel better?

“I haven’t felt like catching takes a toll on you, as far as physically,” Rutschman said, “just ’cause I catch so much.”

Rutschman added that the strength staff, training staff and Hyde work together to monitor his weekly schedule “to put me in the best position to play as good as I can. I know they put a lot of thought into it, and I think they’ve done a great job.”

The knowledge of the difference, however, could sneak into the way Hyde configures his lineups throughout the second half of the season, particularly as he looks to keep Rutschman as fresh as possible for a postseason push. It also reinforces the necessity of having Rutschman in the lineup every night, be it as a hitter or catcher.

“I DH guys a lot of times that are everyday players to give them a little bit of a break from being on their feet so much defensively,” Hyde said. “I don’t put a ton of stock into a half-a-year sample, if a guy is swinging the bat better as a DH or not.”

Rutschman has started 60% of the games this season at catcher, with James McCann starting the other 40%. The value in McCann isn’t what he brings with a bat — he’s hitting .215 with a .590 OPS — but in how he handles the pitching staff and allows Rutschman a lighter workload.

If, as the season continues, Hyde feels the need to give Rutschman more time off his feet, the numbers Rutschman posts as a designated hitter should only support the decision. Perhaps it’s coincidental, as Hyde says, but the variance is noteworthy, nonetheless.

“Obviously, when you’re catching, there’s a lot more responsibility, fatigue and things like that,” Hyde said. “When you’re a DH, you’re really just worried about your four at-bats. Sometimes guys struggle with DHing because you’re sitting a long time between at-bats, and that’s all you’re thinking about at the time. You don’t have to go play defense. In Adley’s case, I just think it’s more coincidental.”