Even with Delmon Young likely to start the year on the DL, I’m still not sure we’re going to see Darin Ruf playing a whole lot of left field in 2013, unless he demonstrates real soon he can handle the position defensively. Given that Ryan Howard plays first and will for a while, I’m not sure there’s anywhere else for him to play.
Either way, Ruf got 37 plate appearances with the Phils in 2012 and walked in just two of them, a walk rate of 5.4%. So should we be worried that he’s going to continue to drag down the Phillie walk rate in left field in 2013?
I don’t think so. First, cause I’m still not sure how much we’re going to see Ruf in left field in 2013 and second because he’s likely to walk a lot more than 5.4% if he’s given enough chances to hit.
Here’s how Ruf’s walk rates at various levels compare to fellow corner outfield candidates Domonic Brown and John Mayberry:
| Darin Ruf | |||
| Year & Age | Level | PA | BB% |
| 2009 (22) | Rk/A- | 201 | 8.5 |
| 2010 (23) | A/A+ | 547 | 8.6 |
| 2011 (24) | A+ | 554 | 10.1 |
| 2012 (25) | AA | 583 | 11.1 |
| All minors | - | 1,885 | 9.8 |
| @ AAA | - | 0 | - |
| Majors | MAJ | 37 | 5.4 |
| Domonic Brown | |||
| Year & Age | Level | PA | BB% |
| 2006 (18) | Rk | 131 | 9.2 |
| 2007 (19) | A-/A+ | 328 | 8.8 |
| 2008 (20) | A | 516 | 12.4 |
| 2009 (21) | Rk/A+/AA | 454 | 10.8 |
| 2010 (22) | AA/AAA | 389 | 9.5 |
| 2011 (23) | A+/AAA | 195 | 15.4 |
| 2012 (24) | Rk/AAA | 261 | 7.7 |
| All minors | - | 2,274 | 10.6 |
| @ AAA | - | 531 | 10.0 |
| Majors | MAJ | 492 | 10.4 |
| John Mayberry | |||
| 2005 (21) | A- | 302 | 8.6 |
| 2006 (22) | A | 533 | 11.1 |
| 2007 (23) | A+/AA | 548 | 8.8 |
| 2008 (24) | AA/AAA | 565 | 6.0 |
| 2009 (25) | AAA | 358 | 9.5 |
| 2010 (26) | AAA | 547 | 7.1 |
| 2011 (27) | AAA | 122 | 4.1 |
| All minors | - | 2,975 | 8.2 |
| @ AAA | - | 1,502 | 7.2 |
| Majors | MAJ | 848 | 7.4 |
Couple of things. First, Darin Ruf is old. He turned 26 in July. Mayberry is really old, but we’ve had time to get used to that. The Phils took Ruf out of Creighton University and he didn’t get his first minor league plate appearance until his age 22 season. In 2011, he had a very nice year at Clearwater, hitting 308/388/506, but did it during his age 24 season. Domonic Brown, on the other hand, was taken out of high school and had already been to Double-A (for 162 plate appearances) by the end of his age 21 season. Brown reached Triple-A during his age 22 season while Mayberry and Ruf were both in A-ball or lower during their age 22 year.
Mayberry played three years at Stanford before debuting in the Northwest league in his age 21 season.
Bottom line for me when you look at the walk rates for those three guys across all levels, Brown is going to walk the most of the three. I’d guess it will be close between Ruf and Mayberry, but I’d bet that when their careers are over, Ruf will have walked in a higher percentage of his plate appearances than Mayberry. Especially in the unlikely event that he keeps hitting 50 or so home runs a year.
Mike Schmidt seems more optimistic about Michael Young’s chances of being a first ballot Hall of Famer than I am.
Laynce Nix has a bone spur in his right foot. The linked article suggests he’s not expected to miss time as a result of the bone spur.
The Phillies play an intrasquad game today. They play the Astros on Saturday and the Tigers on Sunday.
February 22nd, 2013 on 1:40 pm
You’re probably right about Ruf.
I just hope he is what he looked like for a while last year. If he can hit 40, they’ll find a place to put him. I hope he can.
My hopes for both Brown and Mayberry have been so diminished that the prospect of their playing the corners regularly is sufficient reason to believe that there will be no playoffs for the Phillies this year.
February 22nd, 2013 on 1:45 pm
Brown and Mayberry aren’t the same guy. Brown is good, Mayberry is a fourth outfielder.
I really don’t know what Ruf is. I think he can hit. I don’t really think he can field. I think he needs to prove he can field well enough to be in the lineup before we get too excited about what he might do with the bat.
No playoffs for the Phillies this year seems like it would be a pretty safe bet. There are two teams in their division that look clearly better than they are. Course it won’t matter once they start to play games. Anything can happen. Let’s hope it does.
February 22nd, 2013 on 2:13 pm
I really don’t know who and what Ruf is either. A fella can dream though. I have an admittedly irrational dream that he is good. Really good. A “late bloomer” who makes people not want to leave their seats for a hot dog because they’re afraid they’ll miss something. See? Told you it was irrational.
I just have not seen Brown be good yet. I will gladly eat any crow he can put in front of me. I just don’t think he can cook.
February 23rd, 2013 on 2:28 pm
Well, Ruf has bounced on ball off his leg so far today.
February 23rd, 2013 on 3:55 pm
Well. Pretty sloppy game. Not sure losing to the Astros is what they had in mind.
February 23rd, 2013 on 6:00 pm
Not a great start for Ruf. Or anybody except Hamels. Ruf 0-for-3 with an error. Had a lot of company as the Phils made four in the game. Too many. De Fratus didn’t exactly shine in his first chance either.
Hamels pretty impressive with throwing ten pitches in two shutout innings.
February 23rd, 2013 on 8:03 pm
Yup. Cole is sure the real deal. Our little boy has sure grown up.