Nationals Catcher Finally Gets to Play in Front of Parents Five Years After MLB Debut

Keibert Ruiz put on a show for his parents, who were finally in the stands to watch him play.

Keibert Ruiz hits a double in front of his parents for the Washington Nationals. / @Nationals / X

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz made some beautiful family memories on Thursday night.

Ruiz, who was born in Venezuela, was first called up to the majors in 2020, but despite having 450 big league games under his belt, he had never gotten to play with his parents in attendance.

That changed on Thursday, with is mother Leidys and his father Jose cheering Ruiz on from the stands at Nationals Park.

It didn’t take long for their son to deliver at the plate, with Ruiz crushing an RBI double to right field in his very first at bat. When he reached second safely, Ruiz waved to his parents in the crowd.

Keibert Ruiz doubled in front of his parents

... who have never seen him play an MLB game. 😭 pic.twitter.com/tmFpBR203l

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 22, 2025

One-for-one with mom and dad cheering you on, not bad.

The Nationals went on to defeat the Braves 8–7.

After the game, Ruiz spoke about how much it meant to have his parents finally get to see him play in the majors.

“That’s a dream come true for me,” Ruiz said. “That was a lot of emotions. I feel so grateful for this opportunity. They made a lot of sacrifices for me, and seeing me play here in the big leagues, that’s a blessing.”

Keibert Ruiz's parents saw him play a big league game in person for the first time tonight.

He shared his emotions after the game. pic.twitter.com/So1QQLRfPf

— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) May 23, 2025

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

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