Coming into this season, the development of Keibert Ruiz was an x-factor in determining the Washington Nationals’ success as they attempt to complete their rebuild. The early results were encouraging, as Ruiz homered in each of the first two games of the season and recorded a hit in 14 of the first 15 games. He was finally looking like the player the Nats knew he could become when they signed him to a long-term extension.
This hot start wasn’t sustainable, and while he hovered around .400 for much of April, nobody expected Ruiz to become the first hitter since Ted Williams to reach that milestone. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been put in a position to sustain that hot start.
Ruiz has started 32 of the Nats’ first 38 games, putting him on pace to start 136 games. This is not a recent development, as Ruiz has caught the most games in the National League since 2023. Davey Martinez is penciling Ruiz into the lineup at a pace that would imply the Nats don’t have a competent backup catcher, which is far from the case.
Riley Adams has performed admirably in a very limited sample size, especially considering how challenging it is to remain productive while receiving six starts in 38 games. He has recorded a hit in five consecutive games played, including a double and two homers. Ruiz is more productive at the plate, but Adams can certainly hold his own.
Based on his performance when given an opportunity, the decision to play Adams so rarely is a questionable one. Ruiz should absolutely be the primary catcher, but the heavy workload is clearly taking a toll on him early in the season.
After beginning the season by homering in each of the first two games, Ruiz has not left the yard since. He also has just one extra base hit in his last 13 games. Baseball is a grueling season for any player, and that is especially true for catchers. Ruiz’s early season workload has only made the task more challenging.
If Martinez really wants Ruiz’s bat in the lineup almost every game, he could start serving as the designated hitter from time to time. Josh Bell has gotten off to a slow start, which has opened the door for players like James Wood to get off their feet for a day while keeping their bat in the lineup. Perhaps Ruiz could fill this role as well occasionally.
Adams needing to play more is far from an indictment on Ruiz; it’s actually for his sake. Ruiz has struggled to maintain this workload, and we’re still in early May. If he is going to become the cornerstone player the Nats hope he can be, there needs to be more balance in the catching corps. As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.