Carlos Ruiz, Catcher


Date of Birth: 1/22/1979
Birthplace: David, Panama
Nicknames: Chooch, Senor Octubre

Carlos Ruiz, catcher, was first signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1998. He played in their minor league system from 2000 through 2006, when he was called up to play in 27 games with the Phillies.

In 2007, his first full season in the major leagues, Ruiz batted .259 with 97 hits and 29 doubles in 115 games. His best season didn't happen until five years later when he batted .325 in 2012. That year, he had career highs in hits (121), doubles (32), home runs (16), and RBIs (68). As a catcher that season, he played in 106 games and made 856 putouts and 6 errors with a .994 fielding percentage. He caught players trying to steal 34% of the time.

Ruiz played in just 92 games in 2013 because he was suspended for 25 games for a positive test for amphetamines in November, 2012. He finished the 2014 season with 96 hits, 25 doubles, and a .252 batting average in 110 games.

In 2015, Ruiz batted .211 in 86 games with the Phillies. As a catcher, he made 41 assists, 626 putouts, and 11 errors in 83 games.

Ruiz was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 25, 2016. He finished the 2016 season with 53 hits and a .264 batting average in 48 games with the Phillies and 14 games with the Dodgers. Defensively, he caught 47 games with Philadelphia and 9 games with the Dodgers. He made a total of 44 assists, 466 putouts, and 4 errors. He had a .992 fielding percentage and he caught players trying to steal 41.7% of the time. In the postseason, he batted .273 with 3 hits, including a double and a home run, and 4 RBIs in 11 at-bats in 7 games.

Ruiz was traded to the Seattle Mariners on November 7, 2016. He played in just 54 games with the Mariners in 2017. He batted .216 with 27 hits.

Ruiz became a free agent on November 2, 2017. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2017.

Career batting statistics for Ruiz through 2017 include:

  • 1,137 games played
  • 935 hits
  • 223 doubles
  • 415 RBIs
  • 499 strikeouts to 403 walks
  • .264 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Ruiz as a catcher through 2017 include:

  • 1,085 games played
  • 589 assists
  • 7,668 putouts
  • 53 errors
  • .273 caught stealing percentage
  • .994 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Carlos Ruiz
ESPN - Carlos Ruiz