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Adley Rutschman knew he had to fix his swing. Oregon State coach Pat Casey asked the freshman catcher to focus on his defense in 2016 so that he could manage the Beavers’ elite pitching staff.

That’s just what he did, guiding OSU pitchers to a 1.93 ERA, the best in the nation. But Rutschman hit just .234 and knew something had to change if he was going to reach his goal of playing in the big leagues.

So after Oregon State’s season ended with a pair of disappointing losses to Louisiana State in the College World Series, Rutschman got to work overhauling his swing. It was work that he hadn’t had time to do before because he had always played football, including the previous fall when he was the Beavers’ kickoff specialist.

Rutschman started the overhaul in the Cape Cod League, where he continued to struggle. He hit .164 with two doubles in 20 games, and his struggles extended into the fall and winter. He was trying to improve his load so that he could see the ball better and create more explosive separation with his hips.

It was a long, gradual process, but eventually Rutschman found his swing