Rio Ruiz came to camp last year looking to re-establish himself as a prospect. He had fallen off the radar after a poor 2015 campaign in Double-A Mississippi, and as others on the Braves’ prospect list ascended towards the top, he dropped down.
Coming off an impressive 2016 with Gwinnett — as a 22 year old, nonetheless — Ruiz is surging this spring. He’s now hitting .326 with an OPS above .800. He’s seeing extended time at third with Adonis Garcia recovering from a calf strain. And now the Braves have a pretty big roster decision to make.