Over the course of the 2024 MLB season, we have heard a lot about both the success and struggles of the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen. Names such as Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman have often been talked about when it came to the relief corps' success, whereas others such as José Alvarado, Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto and Yunior Marte have been tied to the bullpen's struggles.
Amidst all of the happenings, there has been one reliever who has flown under the radar and has been quietly doing his job this whole season without many people realizing it. That underrated bullpen arm that truly deserves some recognition is none other than right-handed pitcher José Ruiz.
José Ruiz, the Phillies's most underrated reliever, deserves some recognition
In 47 appearances to date this season, Ruiz has posted a solid 4-1 record with a 3.52 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, along with just 13 walks and 49 strikeouts in 46 innings of work. More impressively, he has given up just two earned runs and eight hits since the All-Star Break, amassing a stellar 1.02 ERA, .131 opponents batting average and 0.79 WHIP over 20 appearances.
José Ruiz, Nasty 86mph Breaking Ball...and is fired up. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EVqjroMopu
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 17, 2024
With numbers like that, there's no doubt he has arguably been one of the Phillies’ best relievers, or even in the entire league, over the past two months. As a result, Philadelphia ultimately had the confidence to deploy Ruiz in a high-leverage situation on Sunday to help preserve a 1-1 tie in the ninth inning against the New York Mets. The Phillies eventually won the game in the bottom half of the inning, giving Ruiz the hard-earned win.
"José's been great," manager Rob Thomson said after Sunday's win, per a post by Edge of Philly Sports. "He doesn't steer away from anything, he's as tough as they come. He's got great stuff, so that was a really good outing."
As an eight-year veteran in the majors, Ruiz joined the Phillies organization in November of last year on a minor league contract. He didn’t make the Opening Day roster out of training camp, but his impressive start to the season with their Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley caught the eyes of the Phillies brass.
As a result, when Marte landed on the IL due to right shoulder inflammation in early May, Ruiz finally got his long-awaited opportunity, one that he never relinquished. The Phillies selected his contract and added him to their major league roster on May 3. From there, Ruiz has been a mainstay in the bullpen ever since and has not looked back.
With the playoffs just around the corner, look for Ruiz to play a more significant role going forward, as he might just turn out to be the Phillies’ surprise secret weapon heading into the postseason. But for now, let’s all appreciate what he has done so far for Philadelphia to help get them to where they are today.