The Phillies Nation Top 100: #48 Carlos Ruiz
The Phillies Nation Top 100 continues today with #48. Our mission is to assess the Top 100 Phillies players of all time using impact to the Phillies, individual achievement, team achievement, traditional stats, and analytics as our criteria. The list was compiled by Ian Riccaboni and Pat Gallen with input from the rest of the Phillies Nation staff.
From this point forward, each weekday, we will reveal two Phillies from the PN Top 100 in separate posts. To view the 2008 iteration of the list of Greatest Phillies of All Time as compiled by Tim Malcolm, please click here.
Please check back this afternoon for #47.
Years: 2006-Present
.274/.358/.412, 57 HR, 16 SB in 2926 PA
Previous Rank: New to Rankings
fWAR Phillies Rank: 34th among position players, 50th among Phillies
Signature Stat: Ranks fifth in Defensive Range/9 IP and Range/Game among catchers
Signature Moments: Dribbler up the line to score Eric Bruntlett from third to win Game 3, meeting Brad Lidge on the mound of Game 5 of the 2008 World Series
Signature Performance: Caught Roy Halladay‘s Perfect Game and No Hitter in 2010
Chooooooooooch.
The affable Panamanian catcher was a mainstay on the five-time NL East champions, establishing a reputation as one of baseball’s best defensive catchers. Ruiz was a 27-year old rookie when he was called up for a cup of coffee in May and September of 2006. Ruiz would somewhat surprisingly make the Phillies out of camp in 2007 and would win the starting catching gig over veteran free agent acquisition Rod Barajas, 34-year old, second-year catcher Chris Coste, and 29-year old veteran catcher Pete LaForest.
Ruiz would win the Phillies starting catching gig once and for all in the 2008 postseason, hitting .261/.346/.391 in the 2008 postseason, with a pivotal homer, and game winning dribbler up the third base line, in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series. With the starting job fully in tow, Ruiz would become one of the National League’s best catchers, both offensively and defensively. Over the last five seasons, Chooch ranks fifth among all catchers in batting average, third in OBP, 11th in SLG, fifth in defensive runs saved, and sixth in fWAR.
Chooch’s signature season came in 2012 when he trailed only Buster Posey among catchers in batting average, third in OBP, and second in SLG. Chooch’s would make his first and only All-Star appearance in 2012. Chooch is one player that appears on this list that absolutely could hop quite a number of spots should he put together a few more nice years.
