Washington Nationals ON SI

Watch: Washington Nationals Catcher Smokes Two Home Runs in Latest Start

The Washington Nationals got a two-home run performance from their starting catcher on Thursday, a positive sign from a player the team needs to have a big season.
Kyle Morton|
Mar 2, 2025; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (20) hits a single against the Houston Astros during the first inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
Mar 2, 2025; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (20) hits a single against the Houston Astros during the first inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are hoping that starting catcher Keibert Ruiz can put together a strong effort this season.

With a lineup burgeoning with promising young talent with high ceilings, Washington needs the best out of its established veterans to provide the high floor the club will need if they hope to make good on their longshot bid to end their postseason drought.

At just 26 years of age, it's odd to think of Ruiz as a veteran, but that is exactly what he is in comparison to players like outfielders Dylan Crews and James Wood and shortstop C.J. Abrams.

Ruiz struggled mightily at the plate in 2024, posting a triple slash line of .229/.260/.359 with 13 home runs and 57 runs batted in.

Those all marked huge dips from his 2023 prouction, a year in which he slashed .260/.308/.409 while hitting 18 homers and driving in 67 runs.

Ruiz represents a cornerstone of a previous chapter of the Nationals' rebuild, as he was a centerpiece of the 2021 blockbuster trade in which Washington sent both Trea Turner and Max Scherzer to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline.

The backstop then signed an eight-year contract extension before the 2023 season to lock himself in as a cornerstone of Washington's core, and when he's performing at his best, his average annual value of $6.25-million is a bargain on the Nationals' books.

As Ruiz prepares for the 2025 season, he made a positive impact in Thursday's spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals, as he clubbed two home runs in the game. The pair are his first home runs of the spring, and they bumped his OPS to a strong .980.

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Kyle Morton
KYLE MORTON

Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.

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