RADIO
Keibert Ruiz 2024 Player Outlook: Catcher With Solid Floor Available Late For Those Who Wait
10 months agoWashington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz will look to build upon his 2023 campaign where he tallied a .260-18-67-55-1 line with a .310 WOBA and 93 wRC+ in 136 games (562 PA), all of which were year-over-year improvements. With a 5.8% Barrel%, he may be hard-pressed to surpass his 2023 HR total, but the backstop has elite contact skills with an 87.0% Contact%, 14.3% Whiff% (97th percentile), and a 10.3% K% that puts him in the same company as the likes of Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez. He also posted an impressive 93rd percentile Sweet-Spot% of 39.4%, so while there may not be a bump in HR, more doubles could be in store for the 25-year-old. His 5.5% BB% is well below league average though, which limits his OBP upside. ATC projections call for a .263-15-60-53-2 season with a .317 WOBA and 97 wRC+. The switch-hitter will be the Nats' primary catcher and can DH which should provide a decent statistical floor, but perhaps the contact skills and near-20 HR season have been a little overdone, even at a premium position. He currently has an NFBC ADP of 167th overall, which is well ahead of his RotoBaller rank of 207.
