Darin Ruf

Darin Ruf
Darin Ruf during batting practice prior to a Phillies game on September 27, 2012
Philadelphia Phillies – No. 18
First baseman / Outfielder
Born: (1986-07-28) July 28, 1986 Omaha, Nebraska
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 14, 2012, for the Philadelphia Phillies
MLB statistics (through 2015 season)
Batting average	.245
Home runs	32
Runs batted in	87
Teams
Philadelphia Phillies (2012–present)

Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and played at Westside High School. Subsequently, he attended Creighton University, and excelled playing baseball there before the Phillies drafted him in 2009. In the minor leagues, he initially hit for a high batting average, but in 2011 combined that with power numbers to become one of the Phillies' top prospects. He made his major league debut in September 2012, after having hit 38 home runs to lead the Eastern League. In 2013, he split time between Triple-A and the major league Phillies, and was among the league's top rookies during the season. He was embroiled in a roster battle for a bench spot entering 2014, but hurt his oblique, and landed on the disabled list prior to the season.

Early life and career

Ruf was born on July 28, 1986 to parents Bill and Mary Ruf in Omaha, Nebraska; he has four siblings (one of which is older, the rest younger).^[1][2] He attended Westside High School, where he helped the team win a Nebraska state championship his sophomore season and finish as the runner-up his senior year. He also played football and basketball, and was the captain of the baseball and football teams – during his senior season, he achieved all-state honors in both football and basketball. After his senior season, he committed to play baseball at Creighton for its "combination of athletics and academics";^[1] there, he was a "standout" over his four seasons, serving as the squad's first baseman.^[3]

Even in Ruf's freshman season (2006), he started all 52 games. His sophomore season (2007) drew him significant accolade – he was named the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year, a member of both the first-team all conference squad, and a first-team all-conference scholar athlete. He also was named an all-star for his performance in summer collegiate baseball, for which he was a member of the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League. His strong performance continued during his junior season (2008), during which he compiled a 15-game hitting streak that contributed to his .347 season batting average. His collegiate career culminated in 2009, when he was named to the second-team all-MVC team and a third-team academic-all American by ESPN. Overall, he is "all over the Bluejay record books, finishing second in RBI with 201, third in total bases with 423 and in hits with 275, sixth in walks with 135, seventh in doubles with 57 and tied for 10th in home runs with 27 ... (he) started all 227 games in his career."^[4] While at Creighton, he earned a degree in finance, compiled a 3.51 grade point average (GPA), and aspired to be a successful businessman.^[1]

Professional career

Minor leagues (2009–11)

Ruf was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. After the Phillies drafted him, scouting director Marti Wolever asserted that Ruf "is an outstanding defensive first baseman with a chance to hit and has tremendous makeup."^[5] After converting to play predominantly in the outfield, however, Ruf's fielding has been characterized as either "serviceable" or "weak", and Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. commented that he did not have the defensive skills to play every day.^[6][7]

His first professional assignment was the GCL Phillies in 2009; after performing well there, he was promoted to the Williamsport Crosscutters of short season A. With both squads, he held a batting average of over .300. He also participated in the Florida Instructional League. In 2010, he began the season with the Lakewood BlueClaws, also of Class A, but spent only 32 games there. The Phillies promoted him to the Class A-Advanced Clearwater Threshers, and was the Phillies' minor league player of the week in late May. In total, he amassed nine home runs and 67 runs batted in (RBIs) while posting a .290 amalgamated batting average. His power emergence began in 2011 when he hit a Florida State League-leading 43 doubles, as well as 17 home runs and 82 RBIs and a .308 batting average. Defensively, he played first base, third base, and left field, and even pitched two innings of relief during a 23-inning game. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions.^[8]

Splitting time (2012–present)

Ruf enjoyed great success playing for the Reading Phillies (since renamed the Reading Fightin Phils) in 2012, earning Eastern League most valuable player (MVP) honors, as well as the Paul Owens Award, which is given to the best player in the Phillies' minor league system.^[9] During the season, the Fightin Phils sold T-shirts that said "Babe Ruf", a reference to Babe Ruth.^[7] He led the Eastern League with 38 home runs and 104 RBIs, and tied for the league lead by playing in 139 games and 11 sacrifice flies, all en route to earning a September callup and making his major league debut on September 14 (skipping the Triple-A level entirely).^[8] He recorded his first major league hit on September 25, a home run off the Washington Nationals' Ross Detwiler.^[10] Ruf totaled three home runs and 10 RBIs in his 12-game "cup of coffee" at the end of the season.^[8] An article on Phillies Nation summarized his season and journey through the minor league system:

Darin Ruf slugged his way onto the scene about midway through the 2012 season with the Reading Phillies; it wasn’t as though Ruf was some highly-touted prospect everyone knew about. Really, he was an afterthought at 26 years old; a guy who was just kind of there. That all changed.

— Excerpt from Phillies Player Review: Darin Ruf by Pat Gallen, November 4, 2012^[11]

Ruf batting for the Phillies in 2014

Ruf started the 2013 season in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, but was recalled by the Phillies on July 6 when Ryan Howard was placed on the disabled list.^[12] At the major league level, he finished fifth among rookies with 14 home runs, nine of which were in August, the most among any major league player during that stretch. Of his 70 starts at the major league level, 28 were at first base, 27 in right field, and 16 in left field, while of his 78 starts in Triple-A, 59 came in left field and 19 came at first base.^[8] Ruf struggled to find a spot on the Phillies roster at which he could contribute, despite strong performance: "Even after proving he can be a productive offensive contributor and showing his defensive versatility, Ruf’s spot in the Phils’ lineup may not be locked in for next season." one columnist wrote.^[13]

Entering the 2014 season, he was set to compete for a spot on the bench, as Amaro declared that he was not good enough, particularly defensively, to play everyday.^[6] However, the Phillies placed him on the disabled list (DL) due to a strained oblique; his estimated recovery time was around the end of April or the beginning of May.^[14] When Ruf returned, he played for the IronPigs, but suffered another injury on June 3, fracturing his left wrist when sliding into the wall while playing left field.^[15] He returned to the major league Phillies on July 22 when John Mayberry, Jr. landed on the disabled list, but struggled in his first several games; in his first 17 at-bats, he had just two hits. Nevertheless, the Phillies toyed with platooning him with Ryan Howard, who was also struggling, at first base, and Ruf also played two innings at third base.^[16][17][18] Overall, Ruf amassed only 117 major league plate appearances, and was significantly hindered by injuries.^[19]

As 2015 began, Ruf once again had to fight for playing time; there was no clear opening for him on the Phillies' roster, notwithstanding the fact that he was one of the few players on the roster with the ability to hit for power.^[20]

Player profile

Eric Longehagen, a baseball analyst for Crashburn Alley, asserts that Ruf's ceiling is a platoon player at first base, but that his superior intangibles have allowed him to overachieve in terms of his potential.^[21] He wrote,

For him to be anything more than that would be positively historic. We’ve never seen a player of this age with a similar skill set (a fringe average hitter with a huge hole in his swing and plus raw power who is a 20 runner with pretty much unknown arm strength) do anything sustainable of note at the major league level. Ruf turns 28 halfway through next year and possesses both a skillset and body that typically don’t age well. It’s a very weird situation but it’s a triumph of the Phillies player development system and of Ruf’s effort that he ever put on a Major League uniform at all.

— Excerpt from Solving the Maize: Reflections on Ruf, Asche, and Player Makeup by Eric Longehagen, September 15, 2013^[21]

Offense

Ruf is a strong power hitter who, according to one talent evaluator quoted in Lindy's Sports 2014 baseball preview magazine, possesses "raw country strength" at the plate.^[22] He has an uppercut swing, and struggles to hit outside pitches because of poor balance at the plate, but consequently, is able to hit fly balls and drive mistake pitches out of the park.^[23] He is a patient hitter, but is the opposite of many hitters, in that as a right-handed hitter, he hits right-handed pitchers better than left-handed pitchers.^[24]

Defense

Ruf has played first base as well as both of the corner outfield spots during his career, and focused on the outfield during the latter stages of his development because of Ryan Howard's perceived preeminence at first base.^[7] In the outfield, Ruf is a "liability", and he is "pretty shaky" at first base, further underscoring his "man without a position" persona within the Phillies' organization.^[25] This has led some to suggest he would be better suited as a designated hitter in the American League.^[26]

Personal life

Ruf's wife is Libby Schuring, whom Ruf married in December 2011. His hobbies include golfing and traveling. During the offseason, he resides in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.^[8] Christa Ruf, Ruf's sister, also attended Creighton; she played softball there for four seasons.^[27]

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Creighton Blue Jays bio