What is Carlos Ruiz's Net Worth?
Carlos Ruiz is a former professional baseball catcher who has a net worth of $16 million. Carlos Ruiz played in MLB from 2006 to 2017, mostly with the Philadelphia Phillies. He helped lead the team to five consecutive playoff appearances from 2007 to 2011, and to a World Series title in 2008. Ruiz finished his professional playing career with short stints for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners.
Early Life and Education
Carlos Ruiz was born on January 22, 1979 in David, ChiriquÃ, Panama as the eldest of three sons of an elementary school teacher mother and a police officer father. When Ruiz was seven years old, his father was killed in a car accident. Subsequently, Ruiz began working on a coffee farm to help support his family. He promised his mother that he would become a professional baseball player in MLB to further help. After attending college for a while, Ruiz dropped out to attend the baseball academy of the Philadelphia Phillies in La Vega, Dominican Republic.
Minor League Career
In late 1998, Ruiz signed as an amateur free agent with the Phillies. He made his professional debut the next year with the Dominican Summer League Phillies, batting .305 with four home runs and 35 RBI in 60 games. In 2000, Ruiz came to the United States and played for the Gulf Coast League Phillies. The following year, he was promoted to the Lakewood BlueClaws, and then to the Clearwater Threshers. After playing with the Threshers for a few seasons, Ruiz joined the Double-A Reading Phillies in 2004, and batted .284 with 17 home runs. Due to his strong performance, he was promoted to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in 2005. Ruiz spent his final season in the minors in 2006, batting .307 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI in 100 games.
Philadelphia Phillies, 2006-2011
Ruiz made his MLB debut with the Phillies in May of 2006. That season, he moved back and forth between the Triple-A minors and the major league. Ruiz finished the season batting .261 with three home runs and 10 RBI in the majors. For the 2007 season, he permanently joined the Phillies' roster; in 115 games that season, he batted .259 with six home runs and 51 RBI. The Phillies ended up reaching the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, but were swept by the Colorado Rockies in the NLDS. Ruiz struggled in the 2008 regular season, batting .219 with four home runs and 31 RBI. However, he played a critical role in the postseason as the Phillies won the NLCS and advanced to the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Phillies ultimately won the World Series in five games, claiming its first championship in 28 years. For his successful performance in the 2008 postseason, Ruiz earned the sobriquet "Señor Octubre," or "Mr. October."
Ruiz had another strong season in 2009, recording a career-high nine home runs and leading the Phillies in the postseason with a .341 batting average. Back in the World Series for the second consecutive year, the team fell to the New York Yankees. In 2010, Ruiz was involved in a number of memorable moments; notably, he served as catcher for Roy Halladay's perfect game in May as well as Halladay's no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS in October. Moreover, Ruiz led the Phillies with a .302 batting average. In the 2011 season, he batted .283 with six home runs and 40 RBI, and led the league with the best catcher's ERA, with 3.06. The Phillies made it to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, but were eliminated in the first round by the eventual World Series champs the St. Louis Cardinals.
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Philadelphia Phillies, 2012-2016
Ruiz had a terrific start to the 2012 season, leading the league with a .364 batting average by the end of June. As a result, he earned his first All-Star selection. Despite spending over a month on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis, Ruiz finished the season with career highs in batting average (.325), home runs (16), and RBI (68). At the start of the 2013 season, Ruiz was suspended after testing positive for the amphetamine Adderall. He ended up making his season debut in late April, and finished the season batting .268 with five home runs and 37 RBI. Ruiz subsequently became a free agent. In late November 2013, he re-signed with the Phillies on a three-year contract.
Leading up to the 2014 season, Ruiz was granted an exemption from MLB to use Adderall. That season, he batted .252 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 110 games. Ruiz had a rough season in 2015, despite recording a milestone as the second MLB catcher ever to catch four career no-hitters, which he did when teammate Cole Hamels no-hit the Chicago Cubs in July. Ruiz ultimately lost his starting job to Cameron Rupp, and saw significant declines in his performance. He finished the 2015 season with a .211 batting average, two home runs, and 22 RBI as the Phillies posted the worst record in the league. Ruiz began the 2016 season with the Phillies, but was traded in late August.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Ruiz finished the 2016 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In September, he backed up Yasmani Grandal in 14 games, and hit .278. With the Dodgers in the NLDS, he recorded a two-run homer. The team advanced to the NLCS, which was won by the eventual World Series champions the Chicago Cubs.
Seattle Mariners
Ruiz spent his final MLB season with the Seattle Mariners in 2017. In a game against the Minnesota Twins, he pitched in the eighth inning and recorded his first career strikeout. Ruiz declared free agency after the end of the season.
Personal Life
With his wife Haidee, Ruiz has two sons named Carlos Jr. and Carlos.
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