| AB | 31 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .194 |
| OBP | .265 |
| SLG | .29 |
| HR | 1 |
- Full name Keibert Jose Ruiz
- Born 07/20/1998 in Valencia, Venezuela
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 227 / Bats: S / Throws: R
- Debut 08/16/2020
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Track Record: Ruiz signed with the Dodgers for $140,000 at the age of 16 in 2014 out of the Venezuelan academy run by former big leaguer Carlos Guillen. At the time, he was considered more of a defensive catcher, but that’s not the case now. Ruiz’s star really began to rise when he reached Double-A at age 19 in 2018. A return to Double-A the next season due to a logjam at catcher in the Dodgers organization slowed his progress, but a promotion to Triple-A later that year seemed to get him going again, at least up until he was sidelined with a fractured finger. Formerly the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect, Ruiz immediately became the top prospect for the Nationals upon being traded to Washington as part of the massive deal that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to Los Angeles at the 2021 trade deadline. After getting a cup of coffee in the big leagues in 2020—including a homer in his first big league at-bat—Ruiz saw more regular playing time down the stretch with the Nationals in 2021 and responded by showing the offensive prowess that has the organization excited about his potential.
Scouting Report: A switch-hitter, Ruiz has long had a knack for making contact, but up until recently he had faced questions about his ability to impact the baseball. Adjustments made with the Dodgers, including getting more upright in his stance and keeping his hands closer to his body, have helped him make higher-quality contact, a trend that carried over in his small sample with the Nationals. He has also made strides in his approach and hunting for pitches against which he can do damage in the right counts. Traditionally, Ruiz had been more effective from the left side, but recent improvements in his righthanded swing have made him much more of a well-rounded threat at the plate, where he projects to be a plus hitter with near-average power. Ruiz doesn’t necessarily have standout tools from a defensive standpoint, but rival evaluators are quick to praise his ability to make it work and have taken note of improvements in game calling and relationship building with his pitching staff. He blocks well and has the potential to be an above-average receiver. His arm strength is fringy, which led to a caught stealing rate of 18% with the Nationals last season. That figure was just below his 20% mark in the minors in 2021.
The Future: Ruiz is the Nationals’ catcher of the future, which is a change from his time with the Dodgers, where he was blocked by Will Smith. After getting a taste of regular playing time in the big leagues and getting hot down the stretch at the end of last season, Ruiz looks poised to make a name for himself in 2022, when he’ll be part of a club aiming for a return to prominence.
-
Hitting: 60. Power: 45. Running: 30. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.
TRACK RECORD: Ruiz trained at the academy run by former all-star shortstop Carlos Guillen in Venezuela as an amateur and signed with the Dodgers for $140,000 when he turned 16. He was known for his defense when he signed, but his offense quickly became his calling card. Ruiz hit .300 or better at each of his first four stops and zoomed up the minors to play a full season at Double-A at age 19 in 2018, when he ranked as the Texas League’s No. 3 prospect. He hit his first speed bump in 2019 when an organizational catching logjam forced him back to Double-A, and he struggled to stay motivated. He looked re-energized after a promotion to Triple-A, but suffered a season-ending injury when a foul tip fractured his right pinkie finger. Ruiz rode out the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 at the Dodgers’ complex in Arizona, where he improved his physique and worked extensively with Dodgers hitting coach Brant Brown. Ruiz contracted Covid-19 and arrived late to summer camp, but he recovered to make his major league debut on Aug. 16 and homered in his first at-bat.
SCOUTING REPORT: The switch-hitting Ruiz has a preternatural ability to put the bat on the ball. He has elite hand-eye coordination, can manipulate the barrel to cover all parts of the strike zone and rarely swings and misses. Those traits have long given Ruiz the potential to be a plus hitter, but his quality of contact was often lacking. The Dodgers made adjustments in 2020 to get him more upright in his stance and keep his hands closer to his body, and the result was a more direct path that helped him stay inside the ball and produce consistently harder contact. Ruiz is much stronger batting lefthanded and shows average power from that side. His righthanded swing is visually similar but lacks strength and largely produces weak contact. Ruiz is an aggressive hitter who is still learning to pick out pitches he can drive rather than swinging at the first pitch near the strike zone. Once he improves his pitch selection, he has a chance to hit .280 or higher with double-digit home runs. Ruiz is a potentially above-average receiver who blocks well and received positive reviews from the big leaguers who threw to him at the alternate training site. His game-planning and game-calling still have room to grow. Ruiz’s arm strength is fringy to average, which was an issue in the majors when opponents went 3-for-3 on stolen bases against him in just 17 innings.
THE FUTURE: With Will Smith entrenched at catcher, the best Ruiz can hope for is a timeshare with the Dodgers. His offensive abilities and improving defensive skills would make him the catcher of the future for many other teams. -
TRACK RECORD: Ruiz signed with the Dodgers for $140,000 at 16 and skyrocketed through the system, playing a full season at Double-A at age 19. He repeated Double-A in 2019 due to the organization's catching logjam and struggled with motivation, leading to an underwhelming 76 games at Tulsa. He appeared rejuvenated after a July promotion Triple-A, but soon suffered a season-ending finger fracture.
SCOUTING REPORT: Ruiz's tools remained apparent even in a down year. His elite-hand eye coordination and ability to manipulate the barrel give him the foundation of a plus hitter, and he almost never swings and misses. Ruiz is often too passive early in counts and has to swing at pitches he can't drive after pitchers get ahead, so the Dodgers have implored him to be more aggressive. The switch-hitting Ruiz flashes average power from the left side but almost none from the right. He should reach 12-15 homers once he starts picking out better pitches to drive. Ruiz is an improving gamecaller behind the plate who flashes above-average receiving and blocking skills when he's motivated. His average arm strength is hampered by below-average accuracy.
THE FUTURE: Ruiz will try to get back on track at Triple-A in 2020. He's still far ahead of most catchers his age and has a chance to make his major league debut by 22. -
Track Record: Ruiz mainly attracted teams with his defense as an amateur in Venezuela, training at the academy run by former major league shortstop Carlos Guillen. Almost immediately after signing with the Dodgers, Ruiz began holding his own against older players. At age 17 he moved to the Rookie-level Pioneer League and hit .354 as the league's youngest player. At 18 he jumped to full-season ball and hit .316 with an .813 OPS between low Class A and high Class A. And in his age-19 season, as the rare teenaged catcher in the upper levels, Ruiz had the lowest strikeout rate of any hitter in Double-A, hit a career-high with 12 home runs and ably handled Tulsa's high-octane pitching staff.
Scouting Report: Ruiz originally intrigued with his defense, but as he's progressed his offense stands out. He is a gifted switch-hitter with excellent timing and bat speed and loose wrists that enable him to manipulate the barrel to all parts of the zone, giving him excellent plate coverage. He has an aggressive approach and doesn't walk much, but he stays within the strike zone and rarely swings and misses. Ruiz puts together good at-bats from both sides of the plate, but he has faster hand speed and more natural lift in his lefthanded swing. He has progressively added strength and increased his home run total every season, now projecting for double-digit homers to go with a plus bat. Ruiz's defense lags behind his offense but is still advanced for his age and is constantly improving. He shows good timing blocking balls, is an above-average--if sometimes inconsistent--receiver and has developed a knack for backpicking runners. He has an average, accurate arm that occasionally gets slowed down by footwork and transfer issues, but he made strides to clean those up and improved his caught stealing rate to a career-best 26 percent in 2018. Ruiz also became more confident handling a staff, from presenting gameplans to pitchers to knowing when to take mound visits.
The Future: Ruiz's success on both sides of the ball as a teenager in Double-A made him the top catching prospect in baseball for many evaluators. His potential as a switch-hitting, middle-of-the-order catcher has him positioned to be next in the long line of Dodgers great homegrown backstops. -
The Dodgers signed Ruiz for $140,000 out of Venezuela when he turned 16, intrigued by his advanced defensive skills. They got an even better deal than they thought. Ruiz's offense has blossomed since signing. He hit .316 with an .813 OPS across both class A levels in 2017 and finished the year on Double-A Tulsa's postseason roster, all in his age-18 season. Ruiz is a special switch-hitter with “a chance to be a star” in the words of one evaluator. He possesses superb timing, bat speed and ability to manipulate the barrel to all parts of the zone, and he began to learn to elevate for home runs toward the end of 2017. He makes solid contact from both sides but is much stronger lefthanded, though he is learning to take more aggressive swings righthanded. Behind the plate, Ruiz has good timing blocking balls and handles both good velocity and breaking stuff, but he loses focus at times and lets pitches to get away from him. He has average arm strength but an uncoordinated exchange and inconsistent footwork result in below-average pop times on throws down to second base. Ruiz has to shore up his throwing and become a more consistent receiver. If he does, he has a chance to be an extraordinarily valuable switch-hitting, middle-of-the-order catcher. -
As an amateur in Venezuela, Ruiz trained in the program run by former major league shortstop Carlos Guillen. The Dodgers were drawn to his advanced defensive skills behind the plate for his age and signed him for $140,000 when he turned 16 on July 20, 2014. Ruiz was 17 most of the 2016 season, making him one of the youngest players in the Rookie-level Pioneer League, but he still thrived during his time there. Ruiz projects to stick at catcher because he is an excellent receiver with good hands and quick footwork, though he does need to get better at blocking balls in the dirt. He has an average arm with a quick release, though he threw out just 20 percent of runners last season. Ruiz is a switch-hitter with a contact-oriented approach. His hands work well at the plate, though some scouts had concerns that he was late on too many hittable pitches. Ruiz doesn't bring much power, mostly working gap to gap. The Pioneer League is extremely kind toward hitters, so Ruiz will face a big test in 2017 in low Class A Great Lakes.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
Ruiz improved his swing path and pitch selection in the offseason and hit for newfound power at Oklahoma City. He hit a career-high 16 home runs in 52 games while maintaining his plus hitting ability. The Nationals acquired him from the Dodgers as the top prospect in the deadline deal for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. Ruiz added that power without sacrificing his elite strike-zone discipline and had nearly as many walks (23) as strikeouts (27) before the trade. He also improved his righthanded swing, making him a more balanced switch-hitter with few weaknesses. “We had no answer,” Sugar Land manager Mickey Storey said. “With all the advance information, the data, shifts, how to attack him on the mound, none of it worked. He found a way to really do damage.” Ruiz’s receiving, throwing and game-calling continued improving and he grew into a consistently strong pitch-framer this year. He is on track to be an average defender in time. -
The Dodgers’ catching logjam forced Ruiz back to the Texas League despite ranking as its top prospect a year ago. He spent just over half the year with Tulsa before being promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City on July 21. Ruiz struggled offensively in his repeat year, but evaluators came away impressed with his overall maturity and defensive ability. Armed with excellent bat-to-ball skills, Ruiz struck out in less than seven percent of his plate appearances in 2019. His ability to make contact, however, also hampered his on-base skills with a walk rate in the single digits and negatively impacted his fringe-average power because he often made contact without doing damage. Ruiz showed flashes of being an above-average catcher with average to above-average arm strength. He impressed with his game-calling and ability to handle a pitching staff despite being consistently young for his level and also showed improved blocking ability. -
Ruiz and Fernando Tatis Jr. were the only two 19-year-olds on TL Opening Day rosters, and both rewarded their clubs by responding to the challenge with productive seasons. While Ruiz’s statistics might not stand out at first glance, he showed an elite ability to make contact. He struck out just six percent of the time to lead the league. Like most switch-hitters, Ruiz is more productive from left side, where he hit .276/.334/.420 with 11 of his 12 home runs. Ruiz shows the making of an above-average to plus defensive catcher with quick feet and an above-average arm he used to throw out 36 percent of basestealers. He caught the second-highest total of games (86) in a brutal league for catchers but allowed a league-high 11 passed balls as he continues to refine his overall catching technique. -
Ruiz's defense has been his calling card, but he again impressed with the bat and this time in the more-challenging environs of the MWL. Ruiz has quick hands with a whippy swing. His hitting ability is more advanced than his power, and his degree of difficulty is high as a switch-hitting teenage catcher who earned a promotion to high Class A in the second half. Ruiz's lefthanded swing is better than from the right side due to repetition, and he's geared more for contact from the right side. He has tools to be a plus defender with soft hands that help him receive well and above-average arm strength. He needs plenty of polish on his blocking and lateral movement as well as rough transfer, as he threw out just 22 percent of basestealers. "I expected more on the defensive end," one manager said. However, his leadership and maturity get high marks. -
Ruiz didn't join the Cal League until July 10, but in a short time he showed prodigious talent. The switch-hitting Ruiz showcased excellent bat speed, timing and ability to adjust the barrel to all different parts of the zone, with growing power as well. He is presently more confident batting lefthanded, but makes respectable contact and is learning to take more aggressive swings righthanded. He rarely strikes out and knows when to take a walk. "You watch him play and it's like, ‘Man, that's a teenager?' " Inland Empire manager Chad Tracy said. "He looks good catching, he looks dangerous at the plate. When you see guys get to the league three or four years under the average league age and perform like that, you have to get excited." Defensively, Ruiz possesses soft hands in receiving and good timing blocking balls in the dirt, but his throwing needs work. His arm strength is average and he flashed 1.95-second pop times on throws to second base, but an uncoordinated exchange and inconsistent footwork more often resulted in below-average times. As a result he threw out just 22 percent of basestealers. -
Ruiz was the youngest player in the PL in 2016, having just turned 18 when he arrived in Ogden after eight games in the Rookie-level Arizona League. Scouts praised Ruiz's advanced defensive skills behind the plate even before the Dodgers signed him for $140,000, and Ogden manager Shaun Larkin said Ruiz's receiving skills and ability to lead the pitching staff were "off the charts." He has an average arm now and could get stronger with physical maturity. He threw out 22 percent of basestealers. A pure hitter from both sides of the plate, Ruiz shows good plate discipline and a contact-oriented approach that helped him rank fourth in the league in batting (.354). Scouts noted that Ruiz could stand to be more aggressive at the plate, and that his high hand set caused him to be late to the ball at times. He's a gap-to-gap hitter now with little power, but he should develop more pop with added strength.
Top 100 Rankings
Scouting Reports
-
Track Record: Ruiz signed with the Dodgers for $140,000 at the age of 16 in 2014 out of the Venezuelan academy run by former big leaguer Carlos Guillen. At the time, he was considered more of a defensive catcher, but that’s not the case now. Ruiz’s star really began to rise when he reached Double-A at age 19 in 2018. A return to Double-A the next season due to a logjam at catcher in the Dodgers organization slowed his progress, but a promotion to Triple-A later that year seemed to get him going again, at least up until he was sidelined with a fractured finger. Formerly the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect, Ruiz immediately became the top prospect for the Nationals upon being traded to Washington as part of the massive deal that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to Los Angeles at the 2021 trade deadline. After getting a cup of coffee in the big leagues in 2020—including a homer in his first big league at-bat—Ruiz saw more regular playing time down the stretch with the Nationals in 2021 and responded by showing the offensive prowess that has the organization excited about his potential.
Scouting Report: A switch-hitter, Ruiz has long had a knack for making contact, but up until recently he had faced questions about his ability to impact the baseball. Adjustments made with the Dodgers, including getting more upright in his stance and keeping his hands closer to his body, have helped him make higher-quality contact, a trend that carried over in his small sample with the Nationals. He has also made strides in his approach and hunting for pitches against which he can do damage in the right counts. Traditionally, Ruiz had been more effective from the left side, but recent improvements in his righthanded swing have made him much more of a well-rounded threat at the plate, where he projects to be a plus hitter with near-average power. Ruiz doesn’t necessarily have standout tools from a defensive standpoint, but rival evaluators are quick to praise his ability to make it work and have taken note of improvements in game calling and relationship building with his pitching staff. He blocks well and has the potential to be an above-average receiver. His arm strength is fringy, which led to a caught stealing rate of 18% with the Nationals last season. That figure was just below his 20% mark in the minors in 2021.
The Future: Ruiz is the Nationals’ catcher of the future, which is a change from his time with the Dodgers, where he was blocked by Will Smith. After getting a taste of regular playing time in the big leagues and getting hot down the stretch at the end of last season, Ruiz looks poised to make a name for himself in 2022, when he’ll be part of a club aiming for a return to prominence.
-
Ruiz improved his swing path and pitch selection in the offseason and hit for newfound power at Oklahoma City. He hit a career-high 16 home runs in 52 games while maintaining his plus hitting ability. The Nationals acquired him from the Dodgers as the top prospect in the deadline deal for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. Ruiz added that power without sacrificing his elite strike-zone discipline and had nearly as many walks (23) as strikeouts (27) before the trade. He also improved his righthanded swing, making him a more balanced switch-hitter with few weaknesses. “We had no answer,” Sugar Land manager Mickey Storey said. “With all the advance information, the data, shifts, how to attack him on the mound, none of it worked. He found a way to really do damage.” Ruiz’s receiving, throwing and game-calling continued improving and he grew into a consistently strong pitch-framer this year. He is on track to be an average defender in time. -
Hitting: 60. Power: 45. Running: 30. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.
TRACK RECORD: Ruiz trained at the academy run by former all-star shortstop Carlos Guillen in Venezuela as an amateur and signed with the Dodgers for $140,000 when he turned 16. He was known for his defense when he signed, but his offense quickly became his calling card. Ruiz hit .300 or better at each of his first four stops and zoomed up the minors to play a full season at Double-A at age 19 in 2018, when he ranked as the Texas League's No. 3 prospect. He hit his first speed bump in 2019 when an organizational catching logjam forced him back to Double-A, and he struggled to stay motivated. He looked re-energized after a promotion to Triple-A, but suffered a season-ending injury when a foul tip fractured his right pinkie finger. Ruiz rode out the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 at the Dodgers' complex in Arizona, where he improved his physique and worked extensively with Dodgers hitting coach Brant Brown. Ruiz contracted Covid-19 and arrived late to summer camp, but he recovered to make his major league debut on Aug. 16 and homered in his first at-bat. He was dealt to Washington in the Max Scherzer-Trea Turner trade at the 2021 deadline.
SCOUTING REPORT: The switch-hitting Ruiz has a preternatural ability to put the bat on the ball. He has elite hand-eye coordination, can manipulate the barrel to cover all parts of the strike zone and rarely swings and misses. Those traits have long given Ruiz the potential to be a plus hitter, but his quality of contact was often lacking. The Dodgers made adjustments in 2020 to get him more upright in his stance and keep his hands closer to his body, and the result was a more direct path that helped him stay inside the ball and produce consistently harder contact. Ruiz is much stronger batting lefthanded and shows average power from that side. His righthanded swing is visually similar but lacks strength and largely produces weak contact. Ruiz is an aggressive hitter who is still learning to pick out pitches he can drive rather than swinging at the first pitch near the strike zone. Once he improves his pitch selection, he has a chance to hit .280 or higher with double-digit home runs. Ruiz is a potentially above-average receiver who blocks well and received positive reviews from the big leaguers who threw to him at the alternate training site. His game-planning and game-calling still have room to grow. Ruiz's arm strength is fringy to average, which was an issue in the majors when opponents went 3-for-3 on stolen bases against him in just 17 innings.
THE FUTURE: With Will Smith entrenched at catcher, the best Ruiz could have hoped for was a timeshare with the Dodgers. His offensive abilities and improving defensive skills make him the catcher of the future for the Nationals. -
Hitting: 60. Power: 45. Running: 30. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.
TRACK RECORD: Ruiz trained at the academy run by former all-star shortstop Carlos Guillen in Venezuela as an amateur and signed with the Dodgers for $140,000 when he turned 16. He was known for his defense when he signed, but his offense quickly became his calling card. Ruiz hit .300 or better at each of his first four stops and zoomed up the minors to play a full season at Double-A at age 19 in 2018, when he ranked as the Texas League’s No. 3 prospect. He hit his first speed bump in 2019 when an organizational catching logjam forced him back to Double-A, and he struggled to stay motivated. He looked re-energized after a promotion to Triple-A, but suffered a season-ending injury when a foul tip fractured his right pinkie finger. Ruiz rode out the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 at the Dodgers’ complex in Arizona, where he improved his physique and worked extensively with Dodgers hitting coach Brant Brown. Ruiz contracted Covid-19 and arrived late to summer camp, but he recovered to make his major league debut on Aug. 16 and homered in his first at-bat.
SCOUTING REPORT: The switch-hitting Ruiz has a preternatural ability to put the bat on the ball. He has elite hand-eye coordination, can manipulate the barrel to cover all parts of the strike zone and rarely swings and misses. Those traits have long given Ruiz the potential to be a plus hitter, but his quality of contact was often lacking. The Dodgers made adjustments in 2020 to get him more upright in his stance and keep his hands closer to his body, and the result was a more direct path that helped him stay inside the ball and produce consistently harder contact. Ruiz is much stronger batting lefthanded and shows average power from that side. His righthanded swing is visually similar but lacks strength and largely produces weak contact. Ruiz is an aggressive hitter who is still learning to pick out pitches he can drive rather than swinging at the first pitch near the strike zone. Once he improves his pitch selection, he has a chance to hit .280 or higher with double-digit home runs. Ruiz is a potentially above-average receiver who blocks well and received positive reviews from the big leaguers who threw to him at the alternate training site. His game-planning and game-calling still have room to grow. Ruiz’s arm strength is fringy to average, which was an issue in the majors when opponents went 3-for-3 on stolen bases against him in just 17 innings.
THE FUTURE: With Will Smith entrenched at catcher, the best Ruiz can hope for is a timeshare with the Dodgers. His offensive abilities and improving defensive skills would make him the catcher of the future for many other teams. -
Hitting: 60. Power: 45. Running: 30. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.
TRACK RECORD: Ruiz trained at the academy run by former all-star shortstop Carlos Guillen in Venezuela as an amateur and signed with the Dodgers for $140,000 when he turned 16. He was known for his defense when he signed, but his offense quickly became his calling card. Ruiz hit .300 or better at each of his first four stops and zoomed up the minors to play a full season at Double-A at age 19 in 2018, when he ranked as the Texas League’s No. 3 prospect. He hit his first speed bump in 2019 when an organizational catching logjam forced him back to Double-A, and he struggled to stay motivated. He looked re-energized after a promotion to Triple-A, but suffered a season-ending injury when a foul tip fractured his right pinkie finger. Ruiz rode out the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 at the Dodgers’ complex in Arizona, where he improved his physique and worked extensively with Dodgers hitting coach Brant Brown. Ruiz contracted Covid-19 and arrived late to summer camp, but he recovered to make his major league debut on Aug. 16 and homered in his first at-bat.
SCOUTING REPORT: The switch-hitting Ruiz has a preternatural ability to put the bat on the ball. He has elite hand-eye coordination, can manipulate the barrel to cover all parts of the strike zone and rarely swings and misses. Those traits have long given Ruiz the potential to be a plus hitter, but his quality of contact was often lacking. The Dodgers made adjustments in 2020 to get him more upright in his stance and keep his hands closer to his body, and the result was a more direct path that helped him stay inside the ball and produce consistently harder contact. Ruiz is much stronger batting lefthanded and shows average power from that side. His righthanded swing is visually similar but lacks strength and largely produces weak contact. Ruiz is an aggressive hitter who is still learning to pick out pitches he can drive rather than swinging at the first pitch near the strike zone. Once he improves his pitch selection, he has a chance to hit .280 or higher with double-digit home runs. Ruiz is a potentially above-average receiver who blocks well and received positive reviews from the big leaguers who threw to him at the alternate training site. His game-planning and game-calling still have room to grow. Ruiz’s arm strength is fringy to average, which was an issue in the majors when opponents went 3-for-3 on stolen bases against him in just 17 innings.
THE FUTURE: With Will Smith entrenched at catcher, the best Ruiz can hope for is a timeshare with the Dodgers. His offensive abilities and improving defensive skills would make him the catcher of the future for many other teams. -
TRACK RECORD: Ruiz signed with the Dodgers for $140,000 at 16 and skyrocketed through the system, playing a full season at Double-A at age 19. He repeated Double-A in 2019 due to the organization’s catching logjam and struggled with motivation, leading to an underwhelming 76 games at Tulsa. He appeared rejuvenated after a July promotion Triple-A, but soon suffered a season-ending finger fracture.
SCOUTING REPORT: Ruiz’s tools remained apparent even in a down year. His elite-hand eye coordination and ability to manipulate the barrel give him the foundation of a plus hitter, and he almost never swings and misses. Ruiz is often too passive early in counts and has to swing at pitches he can’t drive after pitchers get ahead, so the Dodgers have implored him to be more aggressive. The switch-hitting Ruiz flashes average power from the left side but almost none from the right. He should reach 12-15 homers once he starts picking out better pitches to drive. Ruiz is an improving gamecaller behind the plate who flashes above-average receiving and blocking skills when he’s motivated. His average arm strength is hampered by below-average accuracy.
THE FUTURE: Ruiz will try to get back on track at Triple-A in 2020. He’s still far ahead of most catchers his age and has a chance to make his major league debut by 22. -
TRACK RECORD: Ruiz signed with the Dodgers for $140,000 at 16 and skyrocketed through the system, playing a full season at Double-A at age 19. He repeated Double-A in 2019 due to the organization's catching logjam and struggled with motivation, leading to an underwhelming 76 games at Tulsa. He appeared rejuvenated after a July promotion Triple-A, but soon suffered a season-ending finger fracture.
SCOUTING REPORT: Ruiz's tools remained apparent even in a down year. His elite-hand eye coordination and ability to manipulate the barrel give him the foundation of a plus hitter, and he almost never swings and misses. Ruiz is often too passive early in counts and has to swing at pitches he can't drive after pitchers get ahead, so the Dodgers have implored him to be more aggressive. The switch-hitting Ruiz flashes average power from the left side but almost none from the right. He should reach 12-15 homers once he starts picking out better pitches to drive. Ruiz is an improving gamecaller behind the plate who flashes above-average receiving and blocking skills when he's motivated. His average arm strength is hampered by below-average accuracy.
THE FUTURE: Ruiz will try to get back on track at Triple-A in 2020. He's still far ahead of most catchers his age and has a chance to make his major league debut by 22. -
The Dodgers’ catching logjam forced Ruiz back to the Texas League despite ranking as its top prospect a year ago. He spent just over half the year with Tulsa before being promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City on July 21. Ruiz struggled offensively in his repeat year, but evaluators came away impressed with his overall maturity and defensive ability. Armed with excellent bat-to-ball skills, Ruiz struck out in less than seven percent of his plate appearances in 2019. His ability to make contact, however, also hampered his on-base skills with a walk rate in the single digits and negatively impacted his fringe-average power because he often made contact without doing damage. Ruiz showed flashes of being an above-average catcher with average to above-average arm strength. He impressed with his game-calling and ability to handle a pitching staff despite being consistently young for his level and also showed improved blocking ability. -
Ruiz’s confidence and ability to handle a pitching staff have taken huge steps forward this season. He’s improved his focus to become an above-average receiver on a day-to-day basis as opposed to just his best days, and he’s cleaned up his footwork and transfer to consistently show an average, accurate arm and increase his caught stealing rate from 22 to 32 percent. Ruiz’s focus on defense has sapped his offense, but he rarely strikes out and is holding his own at Double-A given his age and positional demands. -
Track Record: The Dodgers signed Ruiz for $140,000 out of Venezuela when he turned 16, intrigued by his advanced defensive skills. They got an even better deal than they thought. Ruiz's offense has blossomed since signing. He hit .316 with an .813 OPS across both class A levels in 2017 and finished the year on Double-A Tulsa's postseason roster. Scouting Report: Ruiz is a special switch-hitter with "a chance to be a star" in the words of one evaluator. He possesses superb timing, bat speed and ability to manipulate the barrel, and he began to learn to elevate for home runs toward the end of 2017. He makes solid contact from both sides but is much stronger lefthanded. Behind the plate, Ruiz has good timing blocking balls and handles both good velocity and breaking stuff, but he loses focus at times and lets pitches get away from him. He has average arm strength but an uncoordinated exchange and inconsistent footwork cause him below-average pop times on throws down to second base. The Future: Ruiz will head to Double-A Tulsa as a 19-year-old in 2018. He has to shore up his throwing and become a more consistent receiver, and if he does, he has a chance to be an extraordinarily valuable switch-hitting, middle-of-the-order catcher.
Career Transactions
-
Washington Nationals placed C Keibert Ruiz on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 12, 2024. Influenza.
