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Atlanta Braves Top 100 Prospect: #18 Rio Ruiz

By Benjamin Chase

Mar 2, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Rio Ruiz (81) pose for photo day at Wide World of Sports. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Rio Ruiz (81) pose for photo day at Wide World of Sports. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct. 14, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Rio Ruiz (30) plays for the Salt River Rafters during an Arizona Fall League game against the Surprise Saguaros at Salt River Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Oct. 14, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Rio Ruiz (30) plays for the Salt River Rafters during an Arizona Fall League game against the Surprise Saguaros at Salt River Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

2016 Outlook

Ruiz may have needed to earn his way to Mississippi in 2015, but his performance in 2014 in high-A certainly would have warranted a promotion to AA. The Braves may decide that they want to see him get his feet under him in 2016 by starting him in Mississippi and letting him earn his promotion up to Gwinnett. The real problem is the dearth of third basemen in the system, especially at the upper levels, which could mean that Ruiz is allowed to fail at each step rather than allowed to earn his way up the ladder.

Next: Braves Top 100 Prospects Updated

Ruiz’s swing reminds me a lot of an old third baseman that many may not recall, former Royals third baseman Joe Randa. While a guy who had a career slash of .284/.339/426 with a career high of 17 home runs may not inspire Braves fans, Randa was a steady hitter that was certainly valuable for many years in Kansas City. I could see Ruiz having a similar major league career with the bat. The big deciding factor for Ruiz will be his glove. If he’s not able to stick at third, does he move to the outfield or to first base? Most importantly, is he willing to put in the work to become better at third, and if not, will he do the requisite work to transition to outfield? He needs to answer those questions in 2016 to really set his future in the Braves organization.

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