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Dodgers: Minor League Award Update

By Sully Engels

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 07: Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman introduces Pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on January 7, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 07: Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman introduces Pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on January 7, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – MARCH 05: General view of action between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers during the spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 5, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Keibert Ruiz

Alex Verdugo or Willie Calhoun would have been the easy choice and probably the obvious one for the organization’s Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year. But in a season of surprises, here’s another: 19-year-old catcher Keibert Ruiz has won the award, and he deserves it.

Earlier this week, I interviewed one of the Dodgers’ associate scouts, Stefan Jarín, and I asked him if there was a prospect most people weren’t talking about that they should be. Without hesitation, he said Ruiz and told me that he has the potential to be a truly gifted catcher at the big league level. Only days later, that choice was solidified by the rest of the organization.

Ruiz hit to the tune of a .328 average across two levels (A and High-A) while adding an OPS of .845 with 50 RBI. What makes this year so impressive, and was another thing Jarín noted, was that he is extremely young to be performing this well and is playing with a maturity far beyond his years.

It’s rare to find a catcher who is a blend of intelligence and athleticism but to have one that can swing it the way Ruiz can, well, that’s special.

Ruiz will have a serious chance of swinging his way towards Triple-A next season, but he is in an organization that is very deep behind the plate.

His teammate, Will Smith, is ranked right beside him on most prospect lists, so it will be interesting to see how they develop. As we have seen with Austin Barnes, the Dodgers are looking for versatility behind the dish, and Ruiz looks to be the type of player to continue that trend.

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