Well, well, well, the rich get richer. The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired former American League Steals leader Esteury Ruiz from the Athletics, the team formerly residing in Oakland. The Dodgers are putting their best efforts forward to become the first team in over 20 years to win back-to-back World Series Championships. What are the Dodgers getting with Ruiz? What does this mean for the Dodgers going forward?

What Does Esteury Ruiz Bring to LA?

When you look at the body of work for the young Esteury Ruiz you see potential. The 26-year-old has been in and out of Major League Baseball since the 2022 season. The young Center Fielder has less than 550 career At-bats with a career average of .231. Now, that may not blow anyone away, but where the guy can help this team is with his blazing speed! Speed kills, and not the speed that has Jessica Spano singing, “I’m so excited!” He was the 2023 American League Leader in Stolen Bases with 67.

Final Thoughts

The Dodgers’ acquisition of Ruiz makes complete sense and is a damn good one. His numbers aren’t gaudy, but he is a young, talented player with a ton of speed. With little to no protection in an Athletics lineup the past 2 seasons, we could see a whole different Ruiz in LA. The Dodgers are already stacked from top to bottom. This is a luxury move for LA. They can strictly use Ruiz as a pinch runner at any time. Especially when it comes to playoff time, getting runners in scoring position is crucial. This is a great move for a team looking to repeat as champions.