Baltimore Orioles: Three Players Who Need A Big Spring Training

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BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 07: Rio Ruiz #14 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 7, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

Does Rio Ruiz have a future with the Baltimore Orioles?

As the 2019 season came to a close, Rio Ruiz became one of the more interesting players on the roster, in my opinion. Ruiz was a waiver claim who turned out a .232/.306/.376 season with 12 home runs and a 0.4 fWAR. Not exactly eye-opening numbers, however, he was one of the more improved hitters in the lineup from the first half to the second half of the season last year.

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First half Rio Ruiz posted a .635 OPS with a .092 ISO, and a 69 wRC+. He also struck out in nearly 23% of at-bats. Second half Ruiz improved those numbers to a .766 OPS, .235 ISO, and a 97 wRC+. He also saw a slight uptick in his walk rate to 10% and decreased his strikeout rate to 18.9%.

However, there are a few red flags. Ruiz hit .228 against right-handed pitchers vs a .250 average vs left-handed pitching. He also ranked 31st among 34 qualified third basemen in the major leagues with -5 Outs Above Average, per Baseball Savant.

The third base job is his, with little competition in camp at the third base position and only Rylan Bannon threatening from the prospect ranks. If Ruiz can step up against righties (he is a left-handed hitter) and be a consistent presence in the hot corner, he can avoid platooning at the position with Hanser Alberto or some of the many utility options currently in camp.

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Keep an eye on all three of these guys this spring. Consistent performances will go a long way for each of them.

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