Philadelphia C Carlos Ruiz Vital To His Team’s Continued Success
At age 33, Carlos Ruiz has slowly evolved into a steady rock as the Philadelphia Phillies catcher. He’s good behind the plate, and he’s become consistent with the bat. Over the past three seasons Ruiz has put up solid on-base percentages, including a .371 figure last year. His power did do a sudden drop-off a year ago—more in the case of driving the ball into the alleys, since he’s never been a home run hitter. But even if Ruiz “just” gets on base and doesn’t hit for power, he’s a good asset for a veteran team looking to try and win another World Series while their veteran pitchers are still going strong.
The problem the Phils have at catcher has nothing to do with Ruiz, but the fact that the National League East has a nice collection of backstops and gaining a comparative advantage at the position is a challenge. Here’s what the division’s other four teams put out behind the plate…
Atlanta: Brian McCann—He’s one of the best in the business, having produced at an All-Star level each year since 2006. He’s also stayed healthy and been in the high 400s for at-bats, something that’s tough to do at this position, at least every year like McCann has.
Washington: Wilson Ramos—The 24-year-old got his first chance to play last year and took advantage. The on-base percentage of .334 wasn’t great, but nor was it a huge liability. The power was respectable, as 15 home runs keyed a .445 slugging. Ramos won’t carry an offense, but few catchers can or are expected to. And his age and still limited experience, combined with his natural talent, tell us that more can be expected.
NY Mets: Josh Thole—Another 24-year-old prospect, he’s got a good future, although perhaps not as bright as Ramos. Thole has gotten the equivalent of a full season’s worth of at-bats in 2010-11 and has a solid .350 on-base percentage. He won’t give you any power, although that might be as much the fault of pitcher-friendly Citi Field. Thole needs some serious work on his defense, but if he fixes that and keeps getting on base, he can stabilize this position for a long time.
Miami: John Buck—After several years of good power numbers in the American League, Buck dropped off sharply with the Marlins last year. It wasn’t so much the home runs, which only dipped from 20 to 16, but the slugging, which took a precipitous drop from .489 to .367, meaning Buck was a big liability on a day-to-day basis.
So where does Ruiz rank in this competitive grouping? We concede the top spot to McCann, put Buck in fifth and then it gets interesting. Ruiz’ track record and reliability make him the #2 choice right now, but Ramos or Thole can realistically make a run for it. Washington in particular, is filled with optimism for this year, and the Ramos-Ruiz debate is a small microcosm for the larger battle ahead.
Buy Philadelphia Phillies Tickets | Buy Philadelphia Phillies Apparel
Leave a Rant
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!