Click to watch our interview with Dalton

Dalton Rushing was drafted 2 summers ago as the 40th pick and in the 2nd Round of the 2022 Draft. Since then he’s been on a rise that has landed him atop of the Dodgers Prospects list, pretty much unanimously. His “hit tool” is for real, he’s a very good athlete and is a good defender behind the plate. 

Those are all the skills and physical gifts one might expect of the Dodgers #1 prospect, no question. But, what you may not know, is that he is one of the most fiery competitors you will ever see on a baseball field. And, despite the attention he’s getting, he has only one goal, and that is to win and to be a part of a winner. 

I probably got my competitive nature through playing football. I chose Louisville because they had a thing for winning and that was me to a tee. I was excited when I found out I was going to be a Dodger because I knew they had a winning culture.

Rushing expanded on how important playing in a winning culture is to him

I came from a winning culture before College, during College and throughout College, so being able to follow that through Pro ball was a Dream Come True.

He then talked about how being in a winning culture makes things easier for him.

I was excited because I knew I was going to get to play the same game. You don’t have to worry about yourself or how you’re doing personally, it’s more about just winning. 

Now that you have a little context as to “who he is” let’s back up and find out how it all got to this point. 

Background

Rushing grew up about 45 Minutes Northeast of Memphis in Brighton, Tennessee, which has a population of 2888. He played football for his first 2 years at Brighton High, then, when it became clear that his future was in baseball, he hung up his football cleats in favor of his baseball spikes for good. 

He hit .491 his Senior Year, was a 2019 Tennessee Gatorade player of the year finalist, the #3 player in the State, and was recruited by anyone and every one of College baseball. He chose Louisville because, as the quote earlier stated, he liked their winning culture. 

At Louisville, Rushing immediately had to learn patience because the Cardinals had Henry Davis who eventually became the 1st pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. So he wasn’t the Louisville full-time catcher until his last season as a Cardinal in 2022 and had to learn to play other positions, mainly 1st base.

Rushing experienced a little bit of everything at Louisville, from Covid in his first season there, to a down year in 2021 for the team, to being just one game away from Omaha in his last season in 2022. 

That was the first year, his last year in college, where he had the opportunity to take over the reins as the full-time catcher for the Cardinals.

And, he became one of the best players in college baseball.

He finished his Cardinal career by going 20 for his last 56 (.357) and getting a hit in each of his last 12 games as a collegiate.

He had made a name for himself and was in a position to be an early-round draft pick, which is exactly what he became when the Dodgers drafted him with their first pick of the 2022 Draft. He was the 40th overall pick and an early-rounder, 2nd round to be exact.

And, he couldn’t have been more excited to be drafted by the Dodgers.

He had heard all about the instruction in the Dodgers Developmental system and was excited to be a part of that. But, he was most excited about becoming a part of an organization that preaches the importance of winning, every day and at every level.

And his excitement showed with his play on the field.

He started his career by spending just 2 games at the Complex before being shipped out to Rancho where he continued to stay hot, just as he had been to finish his college career a month or so earlier. 

He went 5 for his first 7 and hit .442 in his first full month in professional baseball, and his play made folks take notice. 

Rushing had arrived, he had made a name for himself and was ready to embark on his path to becoming a Major Leaguer.

That period was nice, it was really, really nice. I was swinging it really well at the end of my College season and in Super Regionals, and I was swinging it really well when I got to Rancho, so it was kind of just grab the bat and go. 

He added

I spent 2 games in Arizona and they were like, hey, you’re going to Rancho, and I was like, alright, let’s go. I got there and it was kind of like just picking up where you left off kind of thing. I was feeling good at the plate, things were going my way, and for about a month and a half everything went my way. That’s not always going to happen, but you take advantage of those opportunities when they come in your baseball career. 

Welcome to the Minor Leagues

But, just as it seemed like his steamroller couldn’t be stopped, 2023 happened. After getting off to a good start in April and May, then having a great June, especially considering the cold environments he played in, Rushing got injured. Shortly after getting back off the IL, he went through a 0 for 36 stretch right in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer. 

For someone who had as much momentum as he had, and was so highly thought of, that type of situation could be a real eye-opener and a big test of confidence. But, thanks to some elite mentoring, Rushing knew exactly how to handle it.

ALL of it!

He gives credit to his College Coach, Dan McDonnell for teaching him how to handle adversity, and then, also, as he called him, the Godfather, John Shoemaker, the legendary Rancho Cucamonga manager. 

Coach McDonnell teaches professionalism, and understanding of what’s in front of you and what your work is. He wants you to understand your opportunities and adventures in the game, and how to handle the ups and the downs. Everything this game brings you, he prepares you for it at a young age. 

Rushing continued

Most guys at 18 aren’t being prepared for going 0 for 25, or 0 for 30 in the Minor Leagues, but that was something he kind of embedded into your blood to say, okay, you’re gonna do these things and you’re gonna have to learn how to get out of them. Thankfully those things have helped me down this road.

On Shoemaker, this is what Rushing said

We have a manager in the system, the Godfather, John Shoemaker, and he taught me that nothing really changes between a player. The opportunity arises and you take advantage of it. And that, realistically, it’s gonna be the same game here that it’s gonna be in the big leagues because you’re gonna have struggles in both places. So, along the way it’s gonna be the same exact thing and the more you treat it that way, and the more you enjoy it and make the most of it, and create a little fire and competitiveness, the easier this game gets.

Perspective

That’s some big-time perspective for someone who is just 23 years old and still in AA. And, it’s something that is needed in large doses when you are the #1 prospect in one of the most visible organizations in the world. When asked how he handles the expectations of being so highly ranked, this is what he said.

That’s something you try and leave out of things. I mean, the external pressure you receive from that kind of standpoint itself makes it tough to think about and then also play the game of baseball. 

Rushing continued

So, I just think about, how can I just go out and be “me” for nine innings, because you have to be yourself and let the game come to you. You are who you are, and you’re gonna do the things you were put on this earth to do, and you’re gonna do the things that everyone sees in you and just play the game of baseball. 

Rushing, as you can tell by his quotes, knew how to keep things in perspective during his injury-led 0fer patch in 2023, and eventually turned that season on its head by hitting .316 in September. He had made it to the other side of his first bit of Professional Baseball adversity and was ready for the next step, AA Tulsa. 

And, that’s where he started this season, 2024.

And, in the meantime, became teammates with the Dodger’s #1 prospect from the year before, and fellow catcher, Diego Cartaya. 

So, for the 2nd time in his career, he was sharing time with an elite player at the same position. 

Good thing Rushing had the experience to draw upon.

Playing with Diego was a familiar standpoint for me, and we both understood that we both had to control the staff and that it couldn’t be one sided. It’s something we had to work together on how we handle the staff, how to talk to certain guys and all of that. We teamed up together and I feel like we did a pretty good job.

Cartaya has recently been promoted and Rushing is nothing but excited for him.

So, that brings us to the present where he is the everyday catcher for AA Tulsa and is an unquestioned leader and one that breeds confidence and competitiveness in everyone around him. When asked where his competitive nature came from, he didn’t hesitate to mention his mom.

 I grew up in a single parent household and my mom was the best. She could put a little fire in me, that’s for sure, and she still does. She’s everything anyone could ever ask for in a mother and she’s been everything to me. On the field, off the field, you name it, she’s done it. 

Finishing Up

Dalton is one of the most talented young prospects in the game, no question. He can absolutely mash, his defense is very good, and he has elite skills in just about every way. 

But, the most impressive part of what he does, in my opinion, is how he holds his pitchers accountable. He reminds them over and over that they have the easiest job on the field because the hitters are at the biggest disadvantage. And that, all they have to do are 2 things: 1) Attack and 2) Fill up the zone. He also reminds them that, if they are good enough to be in the Dodgers system, then their stuff is good enough to beat whoever is 60 foot 6 inches in front of them.

To be honest, I’m getting fired up just typing that, and I can tell you, his pitchers get just as fired up when he reminds them of these things. He breathes fire into his pitchers and he demands they pitch with confidence, and competitiveness and that they believe they are better than the hitter. It’s hard to explain, but when you see it, it explains itself, and it’s very impressive. 

In closing, I would like to thank Dalton for taking the time to talk with Dodgers Daily. These guys have their schedules detailed down to the second, so taking time to let Dodgers fans get to know them better is a great thing to do, and much appreciated. Dalton is a great player, but is a better person, is super kind, is humble, yet, extremely confident. In other words, he is a Dodger!

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