Atlanta Braves: Is Rio Ruiz the long-term answer at third base?

Rio Ruiz was just called up after the Freddie Freeman injury. Now he has a chance to prove himself to a be a long-term answer for the Atlanta Braves at third base.

Rio Ruiz was once paid greatly above slot as a fourth-round pick by the Houston Astros coming out of high school. Three years later, the Atlanta Braves made a shrewd move to trade a power hitting catcher in Evan Gattis for a package that included the young third baseman.

Since then, Ruiz has shot up through the Braves’ farm system, hitting for a solid average and power at the Triple-A level over the last two years. Coming into the draft, Ruiz was looked at as a talented youngster who could eventually become an MLB starter, and now he’s going to get his chance.

Even though the Braves just dealt for Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams, Ruiz should still get enough time at the hot corner to prove himself.

In 37 games at Triple-A this season, Ruiz batted .262 in addition to hitting four home runs and 12 doubles. So now seemed like the perfect time for the Braves front office to challenge him at the highest level of baseball.

In his first three games, Ruiz has already hit his first career long ball in a Braves uniform, but obviously that sample size isn’t even close to enough to answer the question about whether Ruiz could be an everyday regular in Atlanta.

Ruiz came into the season as the Braves’ 22nd-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He ranked behind other young infielders like Ozzie Albies, Kevin Maitan, Travis Demeritte, Austin Riley and Derian Cruz. However, apart from Albies, none of the other infielders are even close to threatening to make an impact at the major league level this season, with a few probably closer to 2-3 years out from becoming realistic options for the Braves.

So while Ruiz may not be as highly thought of as some of the other young infielders, he’ll get the first crack to make his imprint on the big league roster. Now what can he do with this chance?

Ruiz is said to be able to hold his own as a fielder at third base, but his impact with his bat comes under a little more question. Unlike many other young corner infield prospects, Ruiz is not known to possess a lot of raw power.

He hasn’t hit more than 12 home runs in full-season minor league ball over the course of his professional career and he’s been more of a player that hits for average rather than launch balls over the fence. He does have the ability to hit for extra bases, so perhaps as he gets older the soon-to-be 23-year-old can grow into his frame and increase his power numbers.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Ruiz’s on-base capabilities are decent, but still leave room to be desired for a player that is likely to rely more on average than power. He’s going to need to be able to draw walks at a higher rate if he is to show himself as a potential starter for the Braves organization moving forward.

He’ll give you little production in the stolen base area, so it will have to be his ability to barrel up balls and work the count if he is to be successful enough to become an everyday starter at third base.

There was a reason why Ruiz was highly thought of as a teenager going into the 2012 MLB draft, and obviously the Braves see a future for him at the major league level because they have moved him along their system relatively quickly. However, the Braves do have a couple of very talented young infielders that Ruiz will have to fend off for playing time in the years to come. From Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies to Kevin Maitan and Travis Demeritte, there’s only so much playing time to go around in the infield for the next few years.

Ruiz has a great opportunity to prove his case with Freddie Freeman and Adonis Garcia sidelined, and he clearly does have some hitting talent that has played at the minor league level even at such a young age. However, I am a little cautious that he’ll be able to make enough of a mark to assure himself a spot in the Braves’ plan moving forward, at least in this go-around because he’s so young and will have to surely make some adjustments as he now faces the best pitchers in the world.

Next: What Matt Adams brings to Braves

What do you see as Ruiz’s potential role with the Braves moving forward? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.