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Keibert Ruiz 2021 Outlook: Former Top Prospect Moving into Overrated Status
4 years agoRuiz enters the 2021 season as a bit of an enigma — which is somewhat odd to say given that we have six years of minor league data to peruse. Still just 22 years old, the young catcher has shown that he's capable of making a lot of contact and hitting for a strong average. But, historically, he doesn't hit for much pop. That's a bit of a difficult profile for a slow-footed catcher as putting a lot of balls in play on the ground doesn't benefit him as much as it would an average-or-better athlete. Toss in some serious questions about his defensive abilities and an overall lack of focus/effort at times, and we have some serious red flags. The catcher position is a very difficult position to succeed at and Ruiz has a lot of challenges stacked again him despite the natural hitting ability. With both Will Smith and Austin Barnes ahead of him and Diego Cartaya coming up behind him, we don't see much of a future for him in Los Angeles, even if the club seems hesitant to part with him. Ruiz's outlook might alter with a change of scenery and/or a good kick in the butt, however for now he has some value in dynasty leagues and limited intrigue in 2021 redraft leagues as a potential waiver wire pickup if injuries strike.
