While Ruiz does not profile as a power hitter, nor do the A’s expect him to morph into one, they do believe there is a way to fine-tune his swing in order to unlock better contact. Those efforts have already gotten underway this offseason.
“I think the biggest thing, we can clean his mechanics up offensively,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “I think we can open up some more power for him and some bat speed, and we’re excited about that. It takes the player to engage and want to make those changes, and I think he does want to make those changes.
“It’s going to be a process that he’s got to go through, but we’ve identified the things that we feel can open him up and make him even more of an impact player. He’s impactful when he gets on base, but our goal is to increase that by providing some power behind that swing as well.”
Regaining the center field job will be no easy task. As the roster currently stands, the A’s outfield mix includes Butler, JJ Bleday, Seth Brown, Miguel Andujar and 2023 All-Star Brent Rooker, who split time between left field and designated hitter. But Ruiz brings that tantalizing trait of game-changing speed, which figures to keep him firmly on the radar for a continued major role with the A’s.
“I played with Rickey [Henderson] in 2001 and Rickey could steal a base when he wanted to,” Kotsay said. “Esty can [also] steal a base when he wants to. It’s a tool that is exciting for fans and it’s an exciting tool for our team. If you’ve got an opportunity for him to get on base and score with just one hit, it’s a great tool to have.”
