Is Ruiz For Real?

On July 30, 2009, Carlos Ruiz went 0-for-4 against the Giants and saw his season average dip to .223. The 30-year-old backstop batted a measly .219 in 2008, and it was reasonable to wonder why the Phillies were putting up with him. Of course, they didn’t have another good choice by that time.

One day earlier, the Phillies sent one of the league’s best catcher prospects, Lou Marson, to Cleveland as part of the Cliff Lee package. Marson earned praise for his work when he made a short April appearance with the Phillies, and the then-22-year-old catcher seemed on the brink of supplanting Ruiz.

That change never came, and the Phillies have been rewarded for their faith in Ruiz. He batted .305-3-11 with a .951 OPS in August and followed up at .314-1-9 with a .900 OPS in September.

This postseason, Ruiz is 9-for-23 (.391) with a homer and seven RBI over eight games. He has walked six times and posted a 1.099 OPS.

“I think he’s been more patient (at the plate),” manager Charlie Manuel told the AP. “He’s been hitting the ball up the middle a lot and some to right-center. He’s got better balance at the plate, and he’s swinging better.”

Backup Paul Bako took a different stance, telling the Delaware County Daily Times, “I just think it’s not as much of a grind for him, every single day, to handle both sides of the plate… The season can get long and you’re out there just about every single day, 100-plus games and it’s not so easy sometimes to shine on both sides of the ball as he’s done in the postseason.”

Ruiz has always intrigued me a little bit. Like every fantasy baseball owner, I’m always looking for a cheap catcher who can provide a little offense. The No. 2 catcher spot is one of the toughest areas to fill on any baseball team. On the flip side, it doesn’t take much to turn a backstop from a bum into a useful fantasy player.

In 2004, Ruiz hit .284-17-50 over 101 games at Double-A Reading. In 2006, Ruiz batted .307-16-69 over 100 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Granted, Ruiz was a little older (24 and 26) when playing at those levels, but I’ve always wondered why he didn’t show a little better stick at the major league level.

Now, at 30 years old, Ruiz has turned it on over the last three months. He’s not Joe Mauer or Brian McCann, but he has hit the ball consistently well enough to suggest he has the talent to produce a .275-12-55 campaign. In most seasons, my No. 2 catcher doesn’t sniff those paltry numbers.

A few technical indicators from this past season ended up looking favorable for Ruiz. He walked more, he hit more line drives, he hit a lot more flyballs, and more of his flies ended up over the fence. But does any of this mean he will be a top-20 (or even top-25) catcher and help fantasy teams in 2010?

For an answer, I’ll say this: Smarter men then me set the fantasy baseball projections for Owner’s Edge. My job is to fight for changes, and if Ruiz keeps smoking the ball through this World Series, I’ll be going to bat for him this winter.

Tags: MLB