For all the prospects the Braves have stockpiled in trades, and all the progress they’ve made over the summer, there was Rio Ruiz. The third-base prospect who came with Mike Foltynewicz and Andrew Thurman from the Houston Astros for Evan Gattis, struggled from the outset with the Mississippi Braves, and then he struggled some more.
But before 2015 could count as a lost season, the 21-year-old from Covina, Calif., found something to build on. From Aug. 14-30, he hit in 15 consecutive games, when he had gone some months without getting 15 hits — (13 in April, 11 in May, 17 in July).