BALTIMORE -- After scouring the country prior to the 2019 MLB Draft, the Orioles concluded Adley Rutschman was the top talent available not just in the collegiate ranks, but the entirety of amateur baseball. They are far from alone in that determination.

The 21-year-old catcher was named this year’s recipient of the Golden Spikes Award on Thursday, marking the latest and most prestigious honor for Rutschman since the Orioles drafted him No.1 overall earlier this month. Given annually since 1977, the award goes to the United States’ top amateur player, while factoring in qualities like sportsmanship and character along with athletic ability.

Arguably the top collegiate player in the country for much of the past two seasons, Rutschman won College World Series MVP honors last June before embarking on a stellar junior season at Oregon State, where the switch-hitter batted .411 with a 1.326 OPS and 17 home runs this spring. That production helped Rutschman emerge from a field with Bobby Witt Jr., Andrew Vaughn, JJ Bleday and other top picks to claim Golden Spikes recognition, becoming the first Oregon State player in school history to do so.

Rutschman is the fifth catcher to win the award, joining Jason Varitek, Buster Posey, Bryce Harper and Mike Zunino. He is the eighth Golden Spikes winner to be taken first overall in the Draft, and first since Harper in 2010. The Oregon native is also a consensus All-American, has been named the nation’s top collegiate player by nearly every industry trade publications, and is a finalist for the also-prestigious Dick Howser Trophy.

When announced Saturday, the Dick Howser decision will conclude a whirlwind Draft/awards season for Rutschman, who doesn’t figure to be an amateur for much longer. Speaking publicly this week, Orioles general manager and executive vice president Mike Elias indicated the club would wait until these honors were given out and Rutschman’s classes at OSU completed before engaging in serious negotiations with his representatives at Beverly Hills Sports Council.

Elias has repeatedly said he expects that process to go smoothly. The Orioles have until 5 p.m. ET on July 12 to reach an agreement with their top pick, whose selection came with a $8,415,300 slot value.