The Miami Marlins see speed, stolen base potential, and offensive upside in Esteury Ruiz, believing he's a key piece for their National League aspirations.
There appears to be a new impression about the Miami Marlins with spring training right around the corner. The team is coming off a 79-83 season, and at one point were in the hunt for the playoffs, but saw tremendous progress with the development of key players.
The main attraction was Kyle Stowers, who put together an All-Star season, 399 at-bats, 115 hits, 73 runs batted in, recording a batting average of .288, and a WAR of 3.6 in 117 games. The 28-year-old's season was cut short due to an oblique injury.
There was also outstanding production from others, such as Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards, Agustin Ramirez, and others. After an offseason of revampifications, with a couple of free agent signings in relief right-handed pitcher Pete Fairbanks and outfielder Christopher Morel. However, there's another development project that could take a massive leap.
The Marlins acquired outfielder Esteury Ruiz from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for righty prospect Adriano Marrero. In 19 games last season for the Dodgers, Ruiz had 21 at-bats, four hits, one home run, two runs batted in, four stolen bases, with a batting average of .190, and a WAR of -0.2. It's a small sample, but the 26-year-old has proven his potential before.
In 2023, when Ruiz was a member of the Oakland Athletics, he tallied 114 hits, five HR, and 47 RBI in 449 at-bats, and had 67 SB to lead the American League. That season, Ruiz also had a career-high batting average of .254 and -0.3 WAR in 132 games.
The Marlins believe 2026 in Miam the right opportunity for the Dominican Republic native to take a massive leap.
"[Ruiz is] somebody that we think is really helpful," President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix told reporters over Zoom on Thursday. "Complementary piece who's got upside beyond [his position].
He's "one of the fastest guys in baseball, an elite base-stealing threat, and (he) made some real adjustments to his offensive game that we think are going to pay off," Bendix added. "We think he needs an opportunity to play, and we can help him get a little bit more out of his game."
It will be interesting to evaluate how Ruiz will be inserted in the mix, especially for a team that can potentially compete in the National League. He will have an opportunity to prove himself at spring training. With the progress the Marlins made with other young talent, the same could happen for Ruiz.
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