Keibert Ruiz

Keibert Jose Ruiz is a prominent figure in the Major League Baseball, originating from Venezuela and born on July 20, 1998. Currently a professional baseball catcher contracted with the Washington Nationals, Ruiz’s journey began with playing in the Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ruiz’s talents in baseball were recognized early in his career by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed him as an international free agent, a deal that was pegged at $140,000 in 2014. He debuted professionally a year later, playing with the Dominican Summer League Dodgers that year, where he exhibited remarkable talent, amassing stats that included .300 batting, a home run, 19 RBIs, and eight doubles in just 44 games.

In 2016, he displayed his talent with the Arizona League Dodgers and the Ogden Raptors, contributing a combined .374 batting average along with two home runs, 48 RBIs, a .412 OBP, and a .939 OPS in 56 total games between the two teams. These performances led to his selection in 2017 to begin the year with the Great Lakes Loons, where he gained additional recognition by getting picked for the Midwest League mid-season All-Star Team. His exceptional performance earned him a promotion to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League. His improvements resulted in a .316 average with eight home runs and 51 RBIs in 101 games between both Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga, which led to his recognition by the Dodgers as their Minor League Player of the Year for 2017.

The 2018 season saw Ruiz rise through the ranks to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers and earn selection to represent them at the mid-season Texas League All-Star Game. He achieved two additional selections due to his exceptional performances; firstly to the “world” team at the All-Star Futures Game and secondly to the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game. He ended the season having played 101 games for Tulsa, with a batting average of .268 and accumulating 12 home runs and 47 RBIs. Following this impressive performance, the Dodgers added him to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season.

Ruiz began the 2019 season with Tulsa, and his ever-increasing potential and performance garnered him selection to another mid-season Texas League All-Star Game. Promotion came in the form of a step up to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers in July. Unfortunately, a broken finger in August ended his season. Despite this setback, he managed a .261 average with six home runs and 34 RBI in 85 games for that year.

The following year was a milestone moment for Ruiz, as he was called up to the Majors for the first time on August 15, 2020, and played his first MLB game the following day as the starting catcher against the Los Angeles Angels. He hit a home run in his first at-bat, and despite the abbreviated season, Ruiz made a notable impression. During the 2020 National League Wild Card Series, he was included on the Dodgers roster, however, he did not participate in the 2020 National League Division Series.

In 2021, he played in six games for the Dodgers, earning a hit (a home run) in seven at-bats. At the same time, his performance for Oklahoma City reached an average of .311 in 52 games with 16 home runs and 45 RBI. A trade took place on July 30, 2021, where the Dodgers sent Ruiz, Josiah Gray, Donovan Casey, and Gerardo Carrillo to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Trea Turner and Max Scherzer. Ruiz then made his debut for the Nationals organization on August 3, 2021, for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. He was called back to the Majors on August 30, starting his Nationals debut by going 1-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies, finally ending the season with a .272/.333/.409 slash line and three home runs at the MLB level with both the Dodgers and the Nationals.

On March 11, 2023, the Nationals announced Ruiz’s signing of an eight-year contract extension. The agreement, reportedly valued at $50 million, was designed to keep him until 2030, covering his last five seasons of club control and first three years of free agency. It also offered one-year club options for 2031 and 2032.

Ruiz is happily married to Ryena and they have a son, Keibert Jr. His personal life is as fulfilling as his professional, making him the complete package in baseball and in life.