Blake Rutherford

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #21 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Rutherford has spent quite a few years on prospect lists since being a first-round pick of the Yankees in 2016. He was the centerpiece of the package acquired in a 2017 mid-season trade that sent three big league players to New York. The anticipated power increase hasn’t materialized, and he profiles as a left fielder defensively. Rutherford hit just 11 home runs during a full season with Triple-A Charlotte, a notorious hitters’ haven.
  
  Scouting Report: While expectations have been lowered, the White Sox believe Rutherford can be a contributor in the big leagues. His struggles at the plate come from having inconsistent at-bats and too often trying to do too much. Mechanical flaws in Rutherford’s swing have contributed to his struggles, with holes that are easily recognizable versus lefthanders. Scouts note that there was an adjustment in his mentality at the plate over the course of 2021. He now goes to the plate looking for base hits and doesn’t hunt for home runs. The last adjustment for Rutherford will be expanding on that mentality by marrying it with a swing path more conducive for hard flyball contact. Whether he can make those adjustments remains to be seen, as Rutherford has struggled to find his best approach at the plate throughout his professional career. He’s mostly limited to left field, where he makes the routine plays but is hardly the center fielder or even above-average right fielder many envisioned.
  
  The Future: Rutherford still occupies a spot on the White Sox 40-man roster. He’ll likely return to Triple-A in 2022. He turns 25 in May, and time is running out on Rutherford’s faded star.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #14 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: After one season in the Yankees' system, Rutherford was dealt to the White Sox for third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle. Since joining his new organization, Rutherford has continued to try to add strength and produce enough power to profile in a corner outfielder. He spent the summer at the team's alternate training site, but could not attend official instructional league because he is part of the 40-man roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Though the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season, Rutherford was afforded development time at the ATS. There he continued to work on learning how to pull the ball with authority. He worked with Brewers star Christian Yelich over the offseason and brought those lessons to camp, where he worked on getting the barrel on plane quickly and meeting the ball in the strike zone. The result was double-digit home runs against some of the White Sox's higher level pitching. Defensively, his fringe-average speed and below-average throwing arm likely limits him to left field, where he could play to help get Eloy Jimenez to DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: The 2020 season would have been eye-opening for Rutherford, who would have played at the team's hitter-friendly Triple-A park in Charlotte. If his power didn't play there, it would have raised serious red flags. He'll try that path again in 2021.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #9 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Rutherford was taken by the Yankees with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 draft, then dealt to the White Sox a year later in a trade that returned Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to New York. He's spent the last two seasons trying to add enough strength to produce profile corner-outfield power from his sweet lefthanded swing.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: As an amateur and a professional, Rutherford has gained a reputation as a professional hitter from the left side. As a pro, he's matched a walk rate of 7.9 percent with a strikeout rate of 20.4 percent and has shown the ability every season to spray hits from line to line. The projected power, however, has not shown up. He's never topped seven home runs in a season and his over-the-fence power has shown up exclusively to the pull side. Evaluators within the organization believe Rutherford entered the year showing the type of power they'd been looking for, but a long season in the humid Southern League masked any gains Rutherford had made. His slightly below-average footspeed makes him an emergency option in center field, and his below-average throwing arm limits him to left field.
  
  THE FUTURE: Rutherford will likely start 2020 back at Double-A Birmingham, but his power could spike once he gets to Triple-A Charlotte, where the cozy confines and the livelier MLB ball make for extremely hitter-friendly conditions. Until his power develops, Rutherford will continue to present a tricky profile problem.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #8 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Rutherford was part of a four-player package the White Sox received for third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle in July 2017. Rutherford led the system with 78 RBIs in 2018.
  
  Scouting Report: Rutherford’s blend of 50 and 55 tools on the 20-to-80 scouting scale give him a chance to be at least an average regular. On a high Class A Winston-Salem team filled with bat-first prospects, Rutherford’s smooth swing stood out to scouts. His above-average raw power hasn’t turned into many home runs, and those he has hit are all pulled. Some scouts attribute this to a lack of “snap” in Rutherford’s wrists, though the White Sox believe his power will grow. He shows the ability to impact the ball both early and late in the hitting zone, giving him an ability to hit to all fields. He is adept at all three outfield spots, though he plays mostly right field. He’s a tick below-average runner, though he makes up for it with plus instincts. He has an average, accurate arm.
  
  The Future: Rutherford will likely move to Double-A Birmingham in 2019. Though scouts debate his impact potential, they see a future big league regular.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #8 prospect in 2018
  The Yankees were ecstatic Rutherford fell to them at No. 18 in the 2016 draft and signed him for $3.282 million. But after a middling start to his first full professional season at low Class A Charleston, the Yankees traded Rutherford in mid-July to the White Sox as the headliner of a four-player package for relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle and third baseman Todd Frazier. Rutherford's sweet lefthanded swing, disciplined approach and the sound the ball makes off his bat makes scouts believe he'll be an above-average hitter in the future, but questions about his power potential have yet to be answered, especially after he hit just two homers in his full-season debut. Rutherford is likely to move off of center field, so the emergence of power will be key to his profile as a big leaguer. Evaluators with both of his employers saw average power potential so long as he works to add muscle, which was one of his goals this season. Because of his below-average footspeed and arm, Rutherford is likely to settle into left field. Rutherford is likely to be part of a crowded outfield picture in high Class A Winston-Salem in 2018. He'll rotate between center and left field, and whether his power starts to play in games will be a key storyline.
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #3 prospect in 2017
  Because he was 19 years old and had a big price tag, Rutherford fell to the Yankees with the No. 18 pick. He had the big price tag because he ranked among the best hitters available in the 2016 draft, with a long track record of success in Southern California high school ranks and with USA Baseball's 18U national team. The Yankees gladly took him and awarded him a $3,282,000 bonus, which ranks as the second-highest figure they've given a draftee. Rutherford spent most of his debut at Rookie-level Pulaski, where he dealt with a hamstring injury that cost him time and eventually ended his season on Aug. 24. Rutherford made plenty of hard contact in his pro debut and projects as a four-tool player. He's athletic and rangy and center field, but his arm is below-average and could push him to left. He also has the potential for plus power, with some scouts putting future 60 grades (on the 20-80 scouting scale) on both his hitting ability and power. Scouts laud his smooth lefthanded swing and ability to cover the plate. He's an average runner, but jumps and instincts will help him stay in center as long as possible. After his first pro offseason, Rutherford probably will start 2017 at low Class A Charleston. He'll continue to get reps in both center and left field.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #9 prospect in 2016 draft
  Rutherford has size, strength, athleticism and power potential for scouts to dream on, and would likely be the consensus top prep bat in the class if he had a more consistent spring or if he were a year younger. Rutherford turned 19 as the calendar turned to May, offering less projection than other prep outfielders, with a physically mature 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame. Scouts have to project on Rutherford's home run power; he's produced this spring after being the biggest bat last summer for USA Baseball's 18U team. However, he hasn't taken the next step with his power, at times trying too hard to pull and yank balls for power. When he stays with his approach, he's as impressive as any prep hitter in the class, with power to all fields, a line-drive swing path that covers the plate and the athleticism for center field. Some scouts see him as a potential power-hitting center fielder in the Jim Edmonds mold.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Carolina League #17 prospect in 2018
  Winston-Salem Dash was loaded with outfield prospects during the year, including Micker Adolfo, Luis Basabe, Luis Gonzalez, Luis Robert and Joel Booker. All of them can do something better than Rutherford, but Rutherford was the best all-around player of the group. Rutherford mostly stayed in the corners on a team with multiple center fielders, but he showed he’s an above-average outfielder who tracks balls very well, making up for his average speed. He also runs the bases well. At the plate, ideally scouts would like to see more power and a quicker bat from Rutherford, but he works counts well, selects the right pitch to hit and drives the ball to all fields. There’s plenty of belief that Rutherford’s 25 doubles and nine triples are a sign of future home runs, but scouts generally like his above-average hit tool more than his fringe-average power. Rutherford is a very well-rounded player who can legitimately hit and play all three outfield positions, which gives him a chance at a lengthy big league career.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #18 prospect in 2017
  Much like fellow 2016 prep first-rounder Mickey Moniak, Rutherford's first full season was a disappointment. Unlike Moniak, Rutherford had to deal with a midseason trade as well. The Yankees traded him to the White Sox in a deal that sent Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to New York. Rutherford's overall stats suffered because he ran out of gas in August, when he hit .205/.287/.244. But scouts liked his mature approach at the plate and saw a future everyday corner outfielder with excellent instincts, feel for the game and an ability to get on base and hit for average. Rutherford played all three outfield spots in Charleston and Kannapolis, but evaluators were confident that his fringe-average speed would eventually lead to him to the corners.
• 
  Ranked American League #2 prospect in 2016
  Rutherford, who ranked No. 9 in this year's BA 500, slid in the draft due to concerns over his age (he was 19 on draft day) and signability, but the Yankees nabbed him with the 18th pick and saw him excel at Pulaski this summer. He performed like a college hitter in the Appy League, with his plus bat speed and advanced feel for hitting. Rutherford controls at-bats and has a sound understanding of which pitches he can drive. His swing is geared more for line drives than home runs, and he hits lots of hard doubles from gap to gap, projecting for more over-the-fence power as he matures. He showed advanced outfield instincts and a quick first step this summer, but he lacks the elite, game-changing speed often found in big league center fielders. With an arm that earns fringe-to-average grades, he profiles best as an above-average corner outfielder.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #45 prospect in 2017

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Rutherford has spent quite a few years on prospect lists since being a first-round pick of the Yankees in 2016. He was the centerpiece of the package acquired in a 2017 mid-season trade that sent three big league players to New York. The anticipated power increase hasn’t materialized, and he profiles as a left fielder defensively. Rutherford hit just 11 home runs during a full season with Triple-A Charlotte, a notorious hitters’ haven.
  
  Scouting Report: While expectations have been lowered, the White Sox believe Rutherford can be a contributor in the big leagues. His struggles at the plate come from having inconsistent at-bats and too often trying to do too much. Mechanical flaws in Rutherford’s swing have contributed to his struggles, with holes that are easily recognizable versus lefthanders. Scouts note that there was an adjustment in his mentality at the plate over the course of 2021. He now goes to the plate looking for base hits and doesn’t hunt for home runs. The last adjustment for Rutherford will be expanding on that mentality by marrying it with a swing path more conducive for hard flyball contact. Whether he can make those adjustments remains to be seen, as Rutherford has struggled to find his best approach at the plate throughout his professional career. He’s mostly limited to left field, where he makes the routine plays but is hardly the center fielder or even above-average right fielder many envisioned.
  
  The Future: Rutherford still occupies a spot on the White Sox 40-man roster. He’ll likely return to Triple-A in 2022. He turns 25 in May, and time is running out on Rutherford’s faded star.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After one season in the Yankees' system, Rutherford was dealt to the White Sox for third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle. Since joining his new organization, Rutherford has continued to try to add strength and produce enough power to profile in a corner outfielder. He spent the summer at the team's alternate training site, but could not attend official instructional league because he is part of the 40-man roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Though the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season, Rutherford was afforded development time at the ATS. There he continued to work on learning how to pull the ball with authority. He worked with Brewers star Christian Yelich over the offseason and brought those lessons to camp, where he worked on getting the barrel on plane quickly and meeting the ball in the strike zone. The result was double-digit home runs against some of the White Sox's higher level pitching. Defensively, his fringe-average speed and below-average throwing arm likely limits him to left field, where he could play to help get Eloy Jimenez to DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: The 2020 season would have been eye-opening for Rutherford, who would have played at the team's hitter-friendly Triple-A park in Charlotte. If his power didn't play there, it would have raised serious red flags. He'll try that path again in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After one season in the Yankees' system, Rutherford was dealt to the White Sox for third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle. Since joining his new organization, Rutherford has continued to try to add strength and produce enough power to profile in a corner outfielder. He spent the summer at the team's alternate training site, but could not attend official instructional league because he is part of the 40-man roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Though the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season, Rutherford was afforded development time at the ATS. There he continued to work on learning how to pull the ball with authority. He worked with Brewers star Christian Yelich over the offseason and brought those lessons to camp, where he worked on getting the barrel on plane quickly and meeting the ball in the strike zone. The result was double-digit home runs against some of the White Sox's higher level pitching. Defensively, his fringe-average speed and below-average throwing arm likely limits him to left field, where he could play to help get Eloy Jimenez to DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: The 2020 season would have been eye-opening for Rutherford, who would have played at the team's hitter-friendly Triple-A park in Charlotte. If his power didn't play there, it would have raised serious red flags. He'll try that path again in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After one season in the Yankees' system, Rutherford was dealt to the White Sox for third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle. Since joining his new organization, Rutherford has continued to try to add strength and produce enough power to profile in a corner outfielder. He spent the summer at the team's alternate training site, but could not attend official instructional league because he is part of the 40-man roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Though the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season, Rutherford was afforded development time at the ATS. There he continued to work on learning how to pull the ball with authority. He worked with Brewers star Christian Yelich over the offseason and brought those lessons to camp, where he worked on getting the barrel on plane quickly and meeting the ball in the strike zone. The result was double-digit home runs against some of the White Sox's higher level pitching. Defensively, his fringe-average speed and below-average throwing arm likely limits him to left field, where he could play to help get Eloy Jimenez to DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: The 2020 season would have been eye-opening for Rutherford, who would have played at the team's hitter-friendly Triple-A park in Charlotte. If his power didn't play there, it would have raised serious red flags. He'll try that path again in 2021.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Rutherford was taken by the Yankees with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 draft, then dealt to the White Sox a year later in a trade that returned Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to New York. He’s spent the last two seasons trying to add enough strength to produce profile corner-outfield power from his sweet lefthanded swing.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: As an amateur and a professional, Rutherford has gained a reputation as a professional hitter from the left side. As a pro, he’s matched a walk rate of 7.9 percent with a strikeout rate of 20.4 percent and has shown the ability every season to spray hits from line to line. The projected power, however, has not shown up. He’s never topped seven home runs in a season and his over-the-fence power has shown up exclusively to the pull side. Evaluators within the organization believe Rutherford entered the year showing the type of power they’d been looking for, but a long season in the humid Southern League masked any gains Rutherford had made. His slightly below-average footspeed makes him an emergency option in center field, and his below-average throwing arm limits him to left field.
  
  THE FUTURE: Rutherford will likely start 2020 back at Double-A Birmingham, but his power could spike once he gets to Triple-A Charlotte, where the cozy confines and the livelier MLB ball make for extremely hitter-friendly conditions. Until his power develops, Rutherford will continue to present a tricky profile problem.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Rutherford was taken by the Yankees with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 draft, then dealt to the White Sox a year later in a trade that returned Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to New York. He's spent the last two seasons trying to add enough strength to produce profile corner-outfield power from his sweet lefthanded swing.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: As an amateur and a professional, Rutherford has gained a reputation as a professional hitter from the left side. As a pro, he's matched a walk rate of 7.9 percent with a strikeout rate of 20.4 percent and has shown the ability every season to spray hits from line to line. The projected power, however, has not shown up. He's never topped seven home runs in a season and his over-the-fence power has shown up exclusively to the pull side. Evaluators within the organization believe Rutherford entered the year showing the type of power they'd been looking for, but a long season in the humid Southern League masked any gains Rutherford had made. His slightly below-average footspeed makes him an emergency option in center field, and his below-average throwing arm limits him to left field.
  
  THE FUTURE: Rutherford will likely start 2020 back at Double-A Birmingham, but his power could spike once he gets to Triple-A Charlotte, where the cozy confines and the livelier MLB ball make for extremely hitter-friendly conditions. Until his power develops, Rutherford will continue to present a tricky profile problem.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  The questions with Rutherford have long revolved around his ability to add muscle and power as he’s gotten older. He equaled his career total with six homers in the first half with high Class A Winston-Salem, but five of those longballs have come at his cozy home park. Scouts point to his ability to make consistent hard contact as a reason to believe he’ll eventually develop enough power to profile in a corner outfield spot, likely left field due to a below-average arm.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Yankees were ecstatic Rutherford fell to them at No. 18 in the 2016 draft, and they signed him for $3.282 million. But after a middling start to his first full season at low Class A Charleston in 2017, the Yankees traded Rutherford in mid-July to the White Sox as the headliner of a four-player package for relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle and third baseman Todd Frazier. Scouting Report: Rutherford's sweet lefthanded swing and disciplined approach makes scouts believe he'll be an above-average hitter, but questions about his power potential linger, especially after he hit just two homers in his full-season debut. Rutherford likely will move off center field, so the emergence of power will be key to his profile as a big leaguer. Evaluators with both the Yankees and White Sox saw average power potential--so long as he works to add muscle. Because of his below-average speed and arm, Rutherford appears destined for left field. The Future: Rutherford likely will be part of a crowded outfield picture at high Class A Winston-Salem in 2018. He will rotate between center and left field, and whether his power begins to play in games will be key.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Because he was 19 years old and had a big price tag, Rutherford fell to the Yankees with the No. 18 pick. He had the big price tag because he ranked among the best hitters available in the 2016 draft, with a long track record of success in Southern California high school ranks and with USA Baseball's 18U national team. The Yankees gladly took him and awarded him a $3,282,000 bonus, which ranks as the second-highest figure they've given a draftee. Rutherford spent most of his debut at Rookie-level Pulaski, where he dealt with a hamstring injury that cost him time and eventually ended his season on Aug. 24. Scouting Report: Rutherford made plenty of hard contact in his pro debut and projects as a four-tool player. He's athletic and rangy and center field, but his arm is below-average and could push him to left field. He also has the potential for plus power, with some scouts putting future 60 grades (on the 20-80 scouting scale) on both his hitting ability and power. Scouts laud his smooth lefthanded swing and ability to cover the plate. He's an average runner, but jumps and instincts will help him stay in center field as long as possible. The Future: After his first pro offseason, Rutherford probably will start 2017 at low Class A Charleston. He'll continue to get reps in both center and left field, as he did at Pulaski.