After a minor league season in which Phillies' prospect Darin Ruf broke the Reading Phillies' all time home run record for a single season with 38 home runs, the Phillies called the slugger up to Philadelphia on Sept. 9.
In 37 plate appearances with Philadelphia, Ruf supplied 11 hits, three home runs, two doubles, one triple and 10 RBI through 12 games in the big leagues, ending the 2012 campaign batting average of .333. These numbers may have come to a surprise to some, but to those who watched the Reading phenom in 2012, Ruf's numbers were just an addition to an already magical season.
While in Reading, Ruf primarily started at first base, playing in 139 games for the R-Phils. During his breakout season in Double-A, Ruf hit .317 with 38 home runs, 32 doubles, one triple, while driving in 104 RBI. Ruf even earned the bold nickname of "Babe Ruf" while shining in Reading.
Entering the 2013 off-season, the Phillies are in search of outfielders. The main question regarding the team's search is whether to obtain outfielders via free agency, trade, or whether to search internally. Ruf can be one of those internal options in the outfield, as he is unable to see time at first base with Ryan Howard reigning over the position.
As of today, the Phillies have eight outfielders on the roster fighting for an everyday position, but it can be assumed that only one or two of them may actually get their chance in 2013. Of the outfielders on the roster, John Mayberry Jr., Dominic Brown, and Darin Ruf are those who have the best chance at a position, but that could change depending on the 2013 free agent class.
After the departure of outfielder Raul Ibanez in 2011, John Mayberry Jr. stepped in as the every day left fielder for the Phillies. In 2012, Mayberry posted a mediocre .245 batting average, 14 home runs, 24 doubles, and 46 RBI. It has been made clear by Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. that the club is looking for help in the outfield and could even look to bring in more than one outfielder for 2013.
Free agent outfielders that the Phillies have been linked to include: Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton, Torii Hunter, Nick Swisher, Cody Ross, Angel Pagan and Melky Cabrera. Whether they choose to bring in one, or possibly two of those outfielders is up to Amaro and company. Who will fill the final open slots in the outfield will be up to Mayberry, Brown and Ruf.
After the impressive 2012 season Ruf posted, the Phillies continue to see if this prospect is the real deal. While many players take the winter off-season to relax and heal injuries, Ruf traveled south to play in the Venezuela Fall League. Through 20 games, Ruf leads the league in home runs with nine, as well as RBI with 19.
With the power that Ruf has continued to display in 2012 and beyond, he should find himself in serious contention for a spot in the 2013 opening lineup for the Phillies. Depending on the free agent(s) that the Phillies land this offseason, Ruf will continue to help a Phillies lineup that ranked 19th in run scoring during the 2012 season, falling seven spots from their 2011 position in which the team ranked 12th in RBI.
So is the 2009 20th round selection the answer to a struggling Phillies offense? Only time will tell for the 26-year-old power threat. If Ruf can post any version of the season he had in 2012 for the upcoming season, he may find himself in the starting lineup for years to come. But if Ruf has any kind of hiccup from what was expected from him, you can bet Mayberry, Brown, or even Nate Schierholtz will find themselves back in the starting role.
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