The Washington Nationals have a significant downside behind the plate. Regardless of signing an 8-year contract extension in 2023, Keibert Ruiz has grow to be a legal responsibility on either side of the ball. Ruiz has grow to be a tricky watch and it’s clear that this crew simply wants extra out of the catching place.
After a tough 2024 the place Ruiz struggled mightily and suffered from sickness, the stress was on the Nationals catcher. It was time for him to reside as much as that contract he signed. Totally wholesome, there have been no excuses for Ruiz this season.
In 2023, Ruiz confirmed a number of promise on the plate, however was the worst defender in baseball. Issues flipped in 2024, the place he was largely serviceable defensively, however dangerous with the bat. In 2025, it was time to place it collectively. Properly, Ruiz has put it collectively, however not in a great way.
It feels so way back, however Keibert Ruiz obtained off to an incredible begin this season. He hit two homers within the first sequence and was hitting .381 by way of his first six video games. The protection was additionally trying strong. Nonetheless, this was a false daybreak. Ruiz is now struggling mightily on either side of the ball.
Defensive Points:
Whereas Keibert has completed a a lot better job controlling the working recreation this 12 months, he’s nonetheless a legal responsibility as a blocker and framer. You’ll be able to see this each within the statistics and by the attention check. The stats say that he has -8 blocks above common and a -6 framing run worth. His framing is the worst of any catcher in baseball and the blocking is second worst. With how worthwhile protection is behind the plate, these receiving numbers are merely unacceptable.
When watching Nationals video games, it’s laborious to overlook how usually Ruiz takes strikes away from his pitchers. His framing is commonly erratic and he isn’t giving umpires nice seems to be. If you watch opposing catchers, they give the impression of being far smoother behind the plate.
These defensive woes are ongoing and are unlikely to get greater than barely higher. Nonetheless, there are nice catchers who aren’t elite and even good defenders. For instance, the following worst framer after Ruiz is Will Smith of the Dodgers. He is without doubt one of the greatest catchers in baseball regardless of being a under common defender for many of his profession. That’s as a result of he’s an elite hitter. Nonetheless, that isn’t the case for Ruiz. He has additionally been a legal responsibility on the plate in addition to behind it.
Poor Method Ruins Ruiz’s Offense:
In some methods, Keibert Ruiz is a really proficient hitter. He has elite bat to ball abilities, and has the potential to hit for a excessive common. Ruiz has additionally proven some energy up to now, hitting 18 residence runs in 2023. Nonetheless, the bat has deteriorated over the previous couple seasons.
Lots of people attributed Ruiz’s struggles in 2024 to his early season sickness that noticed him lose 20 kilos. Nonetheless, he has not been a lot better this season. After a smashing begin to the season, Ruiz has come crashing all the way down to earth. His common continues to be superb at .255, however it’s empty.
The OPS is all the way down to a woeful .624 now. Ruiz has by no means been an influence hitter, however he has at all times proven the power to run into his justifiable share of homers. That has not been the case this season. Keibert has not homered since March. Solely 12 of his 53 hits have gone for further bases. That’s not ok for a sluggish footed participant who’s a damaging on the bases.
Nonetheless, the most important downside with Ruiz’s offensive recreation is his lack of an method on the plate. His mindlessness price the Nats final evening on the uncommon events they strung collectively some offense. In large spots, Ruiz grounded right into a double play and struck out on a pitch that just about hit him.
Ruiz is strolling lower than 4% of the time. For this reason his on base share below .300 regardless of his strong batting common. His method has by no means been nice, but it surely has merely seemed Minor League caliber since Might.
In Might, Ruiz hit simply .233 with a .258 OBP and a .558 OPS. June has not been any higher, with the Nationals catcher beginning the month 1/15. Ruiz has solely walked twice for the reason that begin of Might.
Time to Transfer On:
That is now Keibert Ruiz’s 4th 12 months because the Nationals full-time catcher. At this level, we’ve sufficient of a pattern dimension to know that he’s not the man, a minimum of as a starter. Perhaps he could possibly be higher with a smaller workload, however as a starter he isn’t the man. Given his contract, Ruiz goes to be on the roster subsequent 12 months, but it surely simply can’t be as a starter.
Groups with severe playoff aspirations don’t go into the season with such an apparent legal responsibility at such an essential place. There are only a few catchers who’re the entire bundle on either side of the ball, however you want your catcher to be good at one thing.
Keibert Ruiz has been a damaging each offensively and defensively in 2025, and albeit he has been that for some time. 2026 is such an enormous 12 months for the Nationals. In some unspecified time in the future they will need to make that soar into rivalry, and I don’t assume they’ll try this with Keibert Ruiz as a beginning catcher.
