The Phils have won 12 of their last 16 games, and find themselves six games out of a playoff spot with 22 games to play. So…yeah, technically speaking, they are “not dead.” I’m choosing to continue to assume they are dead, unless things somehow get more interesting and they suddenly prove to me that they are, in fact, undead.
So, continuing under that assumption, the big news around the team right now is that the Reading Phils season came to an end today. Why is that big news? Because Darrin Ruf plays for Reading, and it looks like he may be jumping right from Double-A to the majors within the next couple of days.
In case you haven’t heard, Ruf broke Ryan Howard‘s AA home run record this year, with 38, to the tune of a .620 slugging percentage and over .400 OBP. He was a 20th-Round pick four years ago and viewed as a non-prospect until this August, when he stroked 20 home runs in the month, tying a professional baseball record set by Sammy Sosa in ’98.
Does one incredibly hot month mean we can pencil him into the Phillies 2012 lineup? Of course not. Besides the small sample size, he’s also, by most accounts, a designated hitter. He’s played mostly first base in the minors, but did play some left field this year, in preparation for a potential spot with the big club. He also turned 26 in July, which means he’s not exactly a young phenom that just found his stroke.
All that being said, some reports have said he’s looked at least somewhat capable in the outfield, and Howard was 26 during his first full big league season. Yes, he did win the Rookie of the Year at 25, with just 88 games played, but the fact remains that he was a late bloomer. Ruf may be (and I stress may be) developing even a bit later, but it’s safe to say that Howard has paid off hugely for the organization.
Heading into 2013, the Phils have a number of question marks and holes to fill, but two of them are definitely left field and right-handed power. It seems at least possible that “Babe” Ruf, as he’s come to be called, could fill both of those holes. So, if you’ve tuned out the Phils and moved onto football season, the soon-to-happen call-up of Ruf should be worth checking out.
