Two Major One Minor 082512

Here is the 16th installment of Two Major One Minor for 2012. The players this week are Justin Ruggiano, Pedro Ciriaco and Darin Ruf.

Justin Ruggiano is an outfielder with the Miami Marlins who is finally living up to the promise he started flashing in the minors in 2007. While with the Rays Triple A team in Durham he showed the ability to hit for average going .309/.386/.502 with the added bonus of being a 20/20 guy by hitting 20 HR and having 26 SB in 127 games. But he had trouble clicking in 2007 hitting .214 and was worse in 208 hitting .197 in 45 games of sporadic play. That led to banishment to Triple A for two years before being allowed back up in 2011 when he hit .248/.273/.400 with 4 HR, 13 RBI, 11 R and 1 SB in 46 games with Tampa. He had signed with the Astros in the off season and was traded to Miami in May. A series of injuries on the Marlins roster gave him his shot and he has shined hitting .320/.381/.599 with 12 HR, 29 RBI, 26 R, 10 SB in 67 games. Better late than never for the former 25th round selection of the Dodgers. Ruggiano turned 30 on April 12.

Pedro Ciriaco of the Red Sox is an uber utility player seeing time at at shortstop, second, third and outfield in 40 games this season. He has shown the ability to get hits in bunches as he has had four 3 hit games and three 4 hit games. In 2012 he is hitting .349/.359/.476 with 1 HR, 14 RBI, 18 R, 9 SB in those 40 games. He had shown the ability to hit in limited play with the Pirates the previous two seasons but a change of scenery has really given him the opportunity to show his value. He had originally signed with the Diamondbacks in 2003 out of the Dominican Republic. Ciriaco will be 27 on September 27.

Darin Ruf is a first baseman with the Phillies Double A team in Reading. He was awarded the Eastern League player of the week and has been on a ten game tear than has seen him hit 6 HR with 12 RBI. For the season he is hitting .313/.404/.609 with 34 HR, 93 RBI, 87 R, 2 SB in 129 games. I think any player that reaches the 30 home run mark is in elite status and Ruf will be one to follow in the future. He was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 20th round in 2009. Ruf turned 26 on July 28.