José Ruiz Bio
José Rafael Ruiz Aparicio, born on October 21, 1994, is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Nippon Professional Baseball. He has built a long professional career as a relief pitcher across multiple organizations, working as a right-handed arm out of the bullpen in both the minor leagues and the major leagues. He previously played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves, and he made his MLB debut in 2017. After more than a decade in affiliated baseball, he transitioned to Japan’s top flight in late 2025 to continue his career overseas.
Early Life and Background
José Rafael Ruiz Aparicio was born in Venezuela on October 21, 1994, and grew up in a country with a deep tradition of producing major league pitching talent. From an early age, he gravitated toward baseball, the national pastime of his homeland, and he developed within a competitive amateur environment that pushed young athletes toward professional ranks. Like many Venezuelan prospects, he pursued his career through the international free-agent pathway, which is one of the primary routes for Venezuelan players to enter the United States professional system.
He signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent on July 2, 2011, when he was sixteen years old, beginning a long developmental relationship with that organization. His early identity as a prospect was tied to catching rather than pitching, and the Padres originally projected him as a backstop. This early plan shaped his first several professional seasons, during which he learned the rhythms of professional baseball from behind the plate before his role changed.
Path to Baseball
Ruiz made his professional debut in 2012 with the Dominican Summer League Padres as a catcher, hitting .177 across 55 games in his first taste of organized baseball. He moved to the rookie-level Arizona League Padres in 2013, where he batted .224 with 16 RBI but no home runs, and he continued refining his approach in 2014 with the Low-A Eugene Emeralds. In 2015, he played 90 games for the Single-A Fort Wayne TinCaps, posting a .214 batting average with 24 RBI as he worked through the lower levels of the Padres’ system.
Ruiz began the 2016 season with the High-A Lake Elsinore Storm, hitting .215, before the Padres decided to convert him into a pitcher midway through the year. The transition was immediate and effective, as he made 11 scoreless appearances split across the Arizona League Padres, the Low-A Tri-City Dust Devils, and Lake Elsinore. On November 18, 2016, San Diego added Ruiz to its 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, a strong signal that the organization viewed his new role on the mound as his long-term future.
José Ruiz Career
Early Career (2012–2016)
Ruiz’s first chapter as a professional was spent learning the catching position in the Padres’ developmental pipeline, beginning with the Dominican Summer League in 2012 and progressing through the Arizona League, Eugene, Fort Wayne, and Lake Elsinore. Across those four years, he posted modest offensive numbers, with batting averages ranging from .177 to .224 and no home runs at any stop. The defining moment of this stretch came in 2016, when the Padres moved him off catcher and onto the mound, where he immediately handled hitters at three different levels without allowing a run.
His rapid success as a reliever convinced San Diego to shield him from the Rule 5 draft by placing him on the 40-man roster that offseason. The decision reflected both the organization’s belief in his arm and the broader industry trend of converting athletic position players into bullpen arms. By the end of 2016, Ruiz had a clear pitching identity and a protected roster spot, setting the stage for his first major league opportunity.
MLB Debut with the San Diego Padres (2017)
Ruiz opened 2017 back with the Lake Elsinore Storm, but his major league breakthrough came quickly. The Padres called him up on July 24, 2017, and he delivered a scoreless inning in his debut, striking out one and walking one. His first major league strikeout came against Yoenis Céspedes, a memorable milestone that underlined the promise of his new role. San Diego sent him back to the minors the following day, and on December 15, 2017, the Padres designated him for assignment, ending his first chapter in the big leagues.
Chicago White Sox Tenure (2017–2023)
The Chicago White Sox claimed Ruiz off waivers on December 22, 2017, and he began the following season in the minors before reaching the majors in September 2018. He appeared in six games for the White Sox that year and posted a 4.15 ERA in limited action. In 2019, he settled into a fuller bullpen role, working to a 5.63 ERA across 40 games, and he continued to log heavy usage in the shortened 2020 season, when he posted a 2.25 ERA in five appearances.
The 2021 season represented Ruiz’s most productive stretch with the White Sox, as he went 1–3 with a 3.05 ERA in 59 games, pitching 65 innings and striking out 63 batters. He returned in 2022 and posted a 4.60 ERA across 63 appearances, cementing his role as a reliable middle-inning option. In January 2023, he agreed to a one-year, $925,000 contract to avoid salary arbitration, but a difficult start to the year, including a 22.09 ERA over his first appearances, led to a designation for assignment on April 7, 2023.
Arizona Diamondbacks Stint (2023)
On April 9, 2023, the White Sox traded Ruiz to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations, and he quickly became a regular in their bullpen. In 34 appearances, he registered a 4.43 ERA with 36 strikeouts across 40+2⁄3 innings pitched. Arizona designated him for assignment on July 25, and after clearing waivers he was sent outright to the Triple-A Reno Aces on July 30. Following the season, Ruiz elected free agency on November 2, 2023.
Philadelphia Phillies Run (2024–2025)
On November 28, 2023, Ruiz signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies that included an invitation to spring training, and he opened the year at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He posted a 1.64 ERA with 13 strikeouts and 3 saves across 10 appearances, and on May 3, 2024, Philadelphia selected his contract, adding him to the major league roster. Ruiz went on to make 52 appearances for the Phillies in 2024, going 5–1 with a 3.71 ERA, 52 strikeouts, and one save across 51 innings, providing steady relief work down the stretch.
In November 2024, Ruiz and the Phillies agreed to a contract worth $1.2 million, locking him in for the 2025 season. He made 16 appearances for Philadelphia in 2025 but struggled to an 8.16 ERA with 12 strikeouts across 14+1⁄3 innings, and the Phillies designated him for assignment on June 1, 2025.
Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers (2025)
On June 7, 2025, the Atlanta Braves claimed Ruiz off waivers, and he made two appearances for Atlanta, allowing three earned runs with three strikeouts over two innings. The Braves designated him for assignment on June 20, and after clearing waivers he was sent outright to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers on June 22. On July 17, 2025, Ruiz was traded to the Texas Rangers alongside cash considerations in exchange for Dane Dunning, and he posted a 1-0 record with a 2.31 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and seven saves across 23+1⁄3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock. He elected free agency on September 29, 2025.
Yokohama DeNA BayStars Era (2025–Present)
On December 3, 2025, Ruiz signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball, beginning a new chapter in Japan. The move marked his first full-time stint outside of affiliated American baseball and reflected his desire to continue his career at a high level after more than a decade in the minors and majors.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ruiz has built his career as a power right-handed reliever who thrives in short bursts, relying on a heavy fastball and the ability to miss bats in high-leverage spots. He has shown a particular knack for working scoreless stretches after difficult outings, a hallmark of resilient bullpen arms, and he has been deployed in setup, middle relief, and occasional save situations throughout his major league career.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Ruiz’s career came on July 24, 2017, when he struck out Yoenis Céspedes for his first major league strikeout during a scoreless MLB debut inning with the Padres. His most productive season came in 2024 with the Phillies, when he went 5–1 with a 3.71 ERA across 52 appearances, and he also delivered a scoreless 11-appearance run as a converted pitcher in 2016 that earned him a 40-man roster spot.
José Ruiz Career Wins
Across his time in the major leagues, Ruiz has accumulated a modest but meaningful win total as a relief pitcher, with his most productive stretch coming during the 2021 and 2024 seasons. His decision to convert from catcher to pitcher in 2016 created the foundation for every victory he has earned since, and his ability to bounce back from roster moves has allowed him to pile up appearances for multiple organizations.
MLB Highlights
Ruiz’s most notable MLB win total came in 2024 with the Philadelphia Phillies, when he went 5–1 with a 3.71 ERA across 52 appearances and 51 innings, striking out 52 batters along the way. Earlier, in 2021 with the Chicago White Sox, he went 1–3 with a 3.05 ERA in 59 games, providing length and consistency in the middle innings. In the minors, he added a win with the Triple-A Round Rock Express in 2025, going 1–0 with a 2.31 ERA and seven saves across 23+1⁄3 innings.
Other Wins & Performances
Ruiz has compiled several scoreless streaks in the minor leagues, including his 11 scoreless appearances as a converted pitcher in 2016 across the Arizona League Padres, the Low-A Tri-City Dust Devils, and Lake Elsinore. At Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2024, he posted a 1.64 ERA with 13 strikeouts and 3 saves in 10 appearances, and at Triple-A Round Rock in 2025, he added seven more saves in 23+1⁄3 innings.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a year of movement for Ruiz, beginning with a difficult stretch in Philadelphia that led to a designation for assignment on June 1, 2025. He briefly joined the Atlanta Braves after being claimed off waivers, but two appearances and three earned runs in two innings led to another designation for assignment, after which he was sent outright to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers. A July trade to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Dane Dunning gave him a fresh start at Triple-A Round Rock, where he thrived with a 1.64 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and seven saves.
Ruiz elected free agency on September 29, 2025, and shortly after, on December 3, 2025, he signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball. The deal represented a continuation of his long professional career in a new league and country, and it set the stage for his debut season in Japan in 2026.