Dodgers: AFL Prospects who Impressed and Disappointed

Honorable Mentions- Keibert Ruiz (C) & Andre Scrubb (RP)-

Scrubb and Ruiz are two very different players in two very different situations and very different points/paths of their careers.

On one hand there’s Ruiz, the prospect who signed midway through his teens and is now (recently turned 20 years old) expected to be the Dodgers’ catcher of the future.

Scrubb is 23 years old, a mammoth on the mound, with a fireball four-seam that has topped 100+ MPH. However, his pitches lack a considerable amount of control and command.

Hence his 7.1 IP, 12 hits (the most given up by a reliever on the  AFL season, in the least amount of innings pitched), 7 runs scored, 5 of them were earned, 5 walks, and only 1 strikeout (the least amount of strikeouts throughout the AFL by any pitcher, and at a significant clip). His final WHIP landed at 2.32 and his ERA was substandard, 6.14.

Ruiz’s AFL statline was eerily similar to his career projections thus far, as a professional. It’s extremely difficult to ask a lot from a recently turned 20 year old, who completed yet another full year of professional baseball against players who are 5-10 years older than him. Such is the story for Ruiz’s career thus far. He’s always been the whiz-kid without much power, behind the dish.

Ruiz had a fantastic 2018 regular (and post) season. However, now he’s expected to hit well and play even better everywhere (including the AFL) he goes, regardless of the opponent’s talent-level.

His bat-to-ball skills have always been elite, yet he hasn’t hit for power in any stretch/amount of time. The AFL has a particular ability of hyper-analyzing a player’s “flaws” because the talent pool surrounding them is always that much better.

That, and the “season’s” only 15-20 games long. This results in far more drastic stat lines due to the smaller sample-sizes.  Another “taxi-cab” player, Ruiz only played in 13 games this Fall.  In only 49 AB’s he hit for a .286 AVG, .357 OBP, .306 SLG, had 8 runs scored, with 14 hits, 1 double, 6 RBI’s, 15 total bases, 6 BB, and only two strikeouts.

As previously mentioned, the AFL can, given the appropriate circumstances, double as an unfiltered and cruel microcosm, regardless of how bluntly obvious the information may be.  In Ruiz’s situation, this could not be more true. He’s always hits for average, but with no power, he gets on base constantly, never strikes out, and has an incredible eye.

My assessment of Ruiz, thus far, is that he’ll inevitably get his “man strength,” sooner than later, and when he does, look out NL West!  His lack of power is the only glaring weakness left to strive toward fixing. After that, there won’t be much to correct.