On a Great Lakes Loons radio broadcast last week, the suggestion was made that 18-year-old catcher Keibert Ruiz may have earned himself a promotion to the Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League. The speculation was based, not only on his hitting which had moved him near the top of the league, but also on his receiving skills that are very advanced for a player so young.

On Sunday, July 9 – as speculated – Ruiz was assigned to the Quakes making him quite easily the youngest player in the highly competitive California League.

Born in Valencia, Venezuela, Ruiz was signed by the Dodgers on July 20, 2014 for a $140,000 signing bonus. Most likely not coincidentally, he was signed on his 16th birthday which was the earliest date on which he could be signed.

Ruiz played with the Dominican Summer League Dodgers for 44 games in 2015 hitting an even .300 with an OBP of .340. That was to be his only season in the Dominican Summer League.

Although only 18 years old, Dodgers prospect Keibert Ruiz has already proven himself to be an excellent defensive catcher. (Photo credit – Michael Grennell)

As a 17-year-old he came to the United States to begin the 2016 season. That was indeed a bit unusual for a young Latin American player to begin his acclimatization to North American baseball at such an early age and with so little experience at home. He seemed to acclimatize quite quickly producing a triple slash line of .354/.393/.503 over 206 plate appearances with the Ogden Raptors of the rookie level Pioneer League. As the season progressed the 6’0”/200-pound switch hitter became a key cog in the Raptors playoff drive. In the division clincher against Grand Junction in September, he went 3-for-5, including a drive to center which plated the game-winning run in the 10th inning. His manager acknowledged his contribution and maturity during the pressure of playoff baseball with the Raptors.

“Keibert Ruiz, just turned 18 and he’s a pure hitter,” Ogden manager Shaun Larkin said following the Grand Junction contest. “The moment never gets too big for him and tonight was no different. He has a way of slowing the game down when it gets big, and he’s been getting big hits for us for the last two weeks. If there’s anyone I want hitting in that situation, it’s Ruiz and he came up big for us.”

Ruiz started the 2017 season with the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League and after a slow start to the season in April, no doubt in part due to the cold inclement weather, his bat heated up until he was hitting a torrid .385 in July. On the season with the Loons he was hitting .317 with an OBP of .372.

One of his highlights with the Loons was the grand slam home run he hit on June 28 off right-handed reliever Ryder Ryan in the top of the ninth inning as the the Great Lakes shut out the Lake County Captains 4-0 at Classic Park. It was the Loons first grand slam of the season and the first since August 11, 2016.

The significance of the hit was not so much that it was a grand slam but that it was hit in a crucial situation for the team. Ruiz has demonstrated a confidence during the current campaign that was reflected in a .359 batting average and .372 OBP when he was behind in the count. With runners in scoring position in 30 at bats he hit a Ted Williams like .405.

What can Rancho Cucamonga Quakes fans look forward to with the young catcher in the lineup? First, he can hit and is a contact hitter not prone to striking out. Contact and driving the ball are his trademarks as a hitter. As a testament to his consistency, he hit safely in 33 of his last 40 games with the Loons. Power, at this point, is perhaps in short supply for Ruiz but MLB.com feels it will be more than adequate as his hitting skills continue to improve and he fills out his 6’0” frame.

MLB.com concludes: “Ruiz shows more pop from the left side and a more contact-oriented approach from the right side. He has precocious feel to hit and makes consistent contact rather than trying to do too much. As he gets stronger, he could develop double-digit home run power.”

Behind the plate is where the young catcher really stands out. He displays great footwork and has no real flaws defensively, which is extremely impressive for an 18-year old catcher. The one thing that Ruiz still needs to improve upon is his arm, which grades about average right now. However, at only 18, there is plenty of time for Ruiz to work on his arm strength. His speed is catcher ranked speed.

During the 2016 season Ruiz made one error in 305 total chances for a .997 fielding percentage. He did have six passed balls and threw out but 20 per cent of would be base stealers. With the Loons in 2017 he has posted a fielding percentage of .991 while throwing out 22 per cent of his opponents attempting to steal a base. His throw is accurate and as he gains strength in his arm and gains experience at a higher level that percentage can only climb.

According to FanGraphs, Ruiz’s catching mechanics are near perfect, and some scouts believe that he has the ability to competently handle duties behind the dish at the major league level right now.

The 2017 Midwest League All-Star has quickly climbed the ladder in the Dodgers farm system. He may remind Dodger faithful of another young switch-hitting catcher that got away. Carlos Santana played in the Dodgers farm system for three years, including a year with the Loons in 2007. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2008. Santana had power that Ruiz may well never have, but Ruiz already has catching skills that Santana could never really master prompting a move for him to first base and the outfield.

With the Quakes, Ruiz will share the catching duties with 24-year-old Garrett Kennedy, who is currently hitting .264 in 35 games along with four home runs and 14 runs batted in.