| Darin Ruf | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ruf with the Mets in 2023 | |
| First baseman / Left fielder / Designated hitter | |
| Born: July 28, 1986 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: September 14, 2012, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| KBO: March 31, 2017, for the Samsung Lions | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: June 2, 2023, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| KBO: September 29, 2019, for the Samsung Lions | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .239 |
| Home runs | 67 |
| Runs batted in | 205 |
| KBO statistics | |
| Batting average | .315 |
| Home runs | 81 |
| Runs batted in | 321 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. He also played in the KBO League for the Samsung Lions. Ruf was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and played at Westside High School. Subsequently, he attended Creighton University, excelled playing baseball there, and was named the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year.
The Philadelphia Phillies drafted him in the 20th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. In the minor leagues, he initially hit for a high batting average, but in 2011 combined that with power numbers to become one of the Phillies' top prospects. In 2012 he led the minor leagues (and the Eastern League) with 38 home runs, and was the Eastern League Most Valuable Player. He made his major league debut in 2012. In 2013, he split time between Triple-A and the major league Phillies. He was embroiled in a roster battle for a bench spot entering 2014, but hurt his oblique, and landed on the disabled list prior to the season. He remained with the Phillies for two more seasons, but by 2016 his time on the major league roster ended. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he did not play in any games before they sold his contract to the Samsung Lions of the KBO League.
Ruf spent three seasons in South Korea, and in 2017 he led the KBO in runs batted in. After two more successful seasons at the plate, he returned stateside and signed with the San Francisco Giants, with whom he earned a major league roster spot. The Giants traded him to the New York Mets during the 2022 season; he played for the Mets for the remainder of that season before being designated for assignment and released prior to the 2023 season.