If people like a really good resurrection story, at least in baseball, they should look at the resurgence of Esteury Ruiz and his 2026 season with the Miami Marlins.

The 27-year-old outfielder drove in three runs to seal the Marlins' victory on September 16, adding another chapter to his comeback story. After having one quality season in 2023, Ruiz has bounced around the bigs a bit. Finally, he seems to have found a home with the Fish.

Originally signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Royals in 2015 at the age of 16, before being traded to the San Diego Padres and later to the Milwaukee Brewers, then the Athletics. That's when the light finally went on. Ruiz hit .254 with five home runs, 47 RBI, and 67 stolen bases in 132 games played.

But what should have been a coming-out party for a player whose long journey to The Show had finally come to an end. Instead, Ruiz was optioned to the minors the following season due to injuries and inconsistency. He then spent a year as an insignificant part of the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series Championship team, playing just 17 games.

Ruiz was traded by LA in the offseason to the Marlins, who are (believe it or not) his sixth franchise. After a couple of seasons that seemingly erased his '23 accomplishments, his numbers are starting to resemble that breakthrough season from three years ago. And he's providing an extra outfield option for manager Clayon McCullough and president of baseball operations Peter Bendix to consider as they plan the South Florida lineup for 2027.

Currently, Ruiz is having his second-best season as he tries to re-establish himself as a potential everyday player. Thus far in the 2026 campaign, he's hitting .222, with six home runs, 15 RBI, 12 doubles, and 30 stolen bases in just 194 at-bats. That's the higher level of play he must consistently display if he intends to be a part of the Fish's future.

At the same time, there are a lot of young players on their way to the Major League level soon in the Marlins' organization. So, he could easily be pushed aside. Contractually, he's playing under a one-year, pre-arbitration deal at just under $800K. He's arbitration-eligible in 2027 and set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2030. So, in essence, he's easy to keep while also being inexpensive to let go at the same time. However, his destiny will lie in his own hands.

What will determine his fate will be his play in Spring Training next year. Just like in 2024, Ruiz will be coming off a season where he's proven himself to be a big-league contributor. If he plans to be an everyday player at some point in baseball, it's becoming a bit of a now-or-never kind of situation.

As he gets closer to the age of 30, Ruiz needs to prove he's not a '4A' player - a guy who is too good for the minors but can't stick in the big leagues. Providing more clutch moments - as he did just a couple of games ago - would go a long way toward changing that perception as well.