RADIO
Esteury Ruiz 2024 Outlook: Big-Time Speed and Nothing Else
12 months agoWe knew Esteury Ruiz would steal bases if he hit, but whether he would was an open question heading into 2023. He ended up going 67-for-80 on the bases for an 84% success rate, single-handedly keeping fantasy managers competitive in the category. Considering Ruiz can flat-out fly with a Statcast Sprint Speed of 29.7 ft./sec, he'll probably run wild again this year. However, Ruiz can't hit. At all. His .254/.309/.345 batting line was inflated by a .315 BABIP and 22.1 LD%, neither of which appears sustainable long-term. His .235 xBA and .317 xSLG better reflect his talent in the box. Furthermore, Ruiz's 35.9% chase rate and 11.8 SwStr% are far higher than we would expect from a guy with a 19.9 K%, so the strikeouts are going up. If you're hoping for power, stop. Ruiz's 2.5% rate of Brls/BBE and 86.8 mph average airborne exit velocity were both jokes in 2023. Oakland is a terrible team in a pitcher's park and Ruiz projects toward the bottom of the lineup, so the team context is as bad as it could be. Whoever drafts Ruiz at his ADP of 125.92 is making a desperate bid to fix a roster lacking SBs, and that should never be Plan A.
