Martinez not worried about Ruiz's slow start at bat

A week into Keibert Ruiz's Nationals tenure, the promising young catcher is assuming the bulk of the workload behind the plate but still trying to find his way offensively.

A 1-for-5 afternoon in the Nats' 11-9 loss to the Mets left Ruiz's slash line at .148/.148/.259. Manager Davey Martinez is paying close attention to the rookie, who was anointed the organization's top prospect after coming from the Dodgers with pitcher Josiah Gray in the deal that sent pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner to Los Angeles.

Martinez firmly believes Ruiz, 23, is ready for the majors and realizes that an important part of the Nats' rebuild is an influx of exciting young players eager to make their marks. The manager senses Ruiz might be pressing a little, but he's not yet worried about the slow-developing offense.

"He tends to be a tad late right now in getting underneath the baseball," Martinez said Saturday afternoon during a Zoom session. "But he's had some good swings at some balls and hit them hard. He hasn't gotten many hits, but he's hit some balls hard."

That hard contact, Martinez said, bodes well for Ruiz breaking out of his offensive doldrums.

"When you start seeing that, see him hitting the ball in the air, it's just a matter of timing," Martinez said. "... He's letting the ball travel, getting it deep. I think if he gets ready on time a little bit, you'll see those balls flying out. Maybe hit 'em hard, hit 'em out."

Ruiz's minor league statistics bear out Martinez's line of thought. In six seasons on the farm with the Dodgers and Nats, Ruiz has slashed .301/.356/.453 with 50 homers in 459 games.

Martinez has already spoken with Ruiz about the approach he wants him to take at bat.

"I just want to see him get ready a little earlier, be on time a little bit and stay on top of the baseball," the manager said. "For me, he's a gap-to-gap guy who has the potential to hit the ball out of the ballpark. He's gotta think right-center, left-center, stay in the middle of the field."

Martinez is seeing progress while Ruiz seeks more tangible results. Ruiz is legendary for his game preparation behind the plate, so it stands to reason that the same can happen with his approach at the plate.

"I watch his swing (and) he's got a good swing," Martinez said. "And I like his approach. He hasn't really chased that much. Gonna get him comfortable here and, like I said, he's gonna help us. I know that."

It's unusual at this point in the season for a team in the majors to be breaking in two new catchers. But with the Nationals retooling on the fly, it's a necessary occupational hazard.

So far, Martinez has been impressed with how Ruiz and Riley Adams, acquired from the Blue Jays in the Brad Hand trade, have worked diligently to mesh with a new pitching staff.

"We've given (Ruiz) a lot of information. We've watched a lot of video," Martinez said. "I've always thought the toughest thing for a new catcher is the bullpen, getting used to catching different guys coming out of the bullpen every inning. Our guys have done really well with that."