How could the Marlins utilize Esteury Ruiz?

After the trade of Dane Myers last weekend, the Miami Marlins found themselves with a shortage of right-handed-hitting outfielders. They acted quickly to fill that hole, acquiring Esteury Ruiz from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.

Ruiz spent most of his age-26 season in Triple-A for the Dodgers and put up monster numbers. In the 106 games he played at that level in 2025, he slashed .304/.412/.511 with a .411 wOBA and 137 wRC+ in Triple-A. It's worth noting that Ruiz originally reached AAA way back in 2022. Repeating a familiar level can lead to improved results without meaningful development, but in his case, there have been some encouraging signs under the hood.

Ruiz shined vs. left-handed pitching this past season with a .358/.425/.569 slash line, four home runs and 12 doubles in 123 at-bats. He showed a patient plate approach with a solid amount of in-zone contact at 85.7% and a chase rate in the 67th percentile among AAA hitters, according to Prospect Savant.

Ruiz has no issue hitting fastballs—he had an xwOBA above .360 against four-seamers, sinkers, and cutters. His whiff rate against fastballs was only 21.2%, compared to 31.5% vs. sliders, changeups, and curveballs. 

Ruiz's power is lacking, but his speed allows him to turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples, helping the overall slugging profile. 

In 2023, Ruiz led the American league in stolen bases with 67 despite missing a full month of that season on the injured list. He ran even more frequently and efficiently in Oklahoma City last season, with 63 steals on 74 attempts in 104 games there. Andrew Pinckney (Washington Nationals) is the only player to spend the majority of 2025 in AAA and register a higher Sprint Speed than Ruiz.

Ruiz's ability to cover ground in the outfield will be useful at loanDepot park. His arm holds him back from succeeding in center field, therefore he profiles best in left field where opponents will have fewer opportunities to take advantage of him.

Esteury Ruiz could play an impactful role for the Marlins. He would be best utilized as a platoon bat vs. left-handed pitchers and as a bench option to steal bases. With one minor league option left, he will still need to put his talent on display during spring training to earn his spot on the Opening Day roster.