Darin Ruf

Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American professional baseball first baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter who is a free agent.

He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers.

Ruf was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and played at Westside High School.

In Ruf's freshman season (2006), he started all 52 games.

Subsequently, he attended Creighton University, excelled playing baseball there, and was named the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year.

His sophomore season (2007) he was named the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year, a member of both the first-team all conference squad, and a first-team all-conference scholar athlete.

He also was named an all-star for his performance in summer collegiate baseball, during which he was a member of the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League.

During his junior season (2008) he compiled a 15-game hitting streak that contributed to his .347 season batting average.

After the 2008 season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

The Philadelphia Phillies drafted him in the 20th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft.

His collegiate career culminated in 2009, when he was named to the second-team all-MVC team and a third-team academic-All American by ESPN.

Overall, he was "all over the Bluejay record books, finishing second in runs batted in (RBIs) with 201, third in total bases with 423 and in hits with 275, sixth in walks with 135, seventh in doubles with 57 and tied for 10th in home runs with 27 ... (he) started all 227 games in his career."

While at Creighton, he earned a degree in finance, compiled a 3.51 grade point average (GPA), and aspired to be a successful businessman.

Ruf was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft.

After the Phillies drafted him, scouting director Marti Wolever asserted that Ruf "is an outstanding defensive first baseman with a chance to hit and has tremendous makeup."

After converting to play predominantly in the outfield, however, Ruf's fielding was characterized as either "serviceable" or "weak", and Phillies general manager Rubén Amaro, Jr. commented that he did not have the defensive skills to play every day.

Ruf's first professional assignment was the GCL Phillies in 2009; after performing well there, he was promoted to the Williamsport Crosscutters of short season A.

With both squads, he held a batting average of over .300.

He also participated in the Florida Instructional League.

In 2010, he began the season with the Lakewood BlueClaws, also of Class A, but spent only 32 games there.

The Phillies promoted him to the Class A-Advanced Clearwater Threshers, and was the Phillies' minor league player of the week in late May.

In total, he amassed nine home runs and 67 RBIs while posting a .290 amalgamated batting average.

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.

His power emergence began in 2011 when he hit a Florida State League-leading 43 doubles, as well as 17 home runs (8th in the league) and 82 RBIs (4th) and a .308 batting average.

Defensively, he played first base, third base, and left field, and even pitched two innings of relief during a 23-inning game.

He was named an MiLB.com Organization All Star and a post-season All Star.

After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

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.

Ruf was born to parents Bill and Mary Ruf in Omaha, Nebraska; he has four siblings (one of whom is older, the rest younger).

He attended Westside High School, where he helped the team win a Nebraska state championship his sophomore season and finish as the runner-up his senior year.

He also played football and basketball, and was the captain of the baseball and football teams – during his senior season, he achieved all-state honors in both football and basketball.

After his senior season, he committed to play baseball at Creighton University for its "combination of athletics and academics"; there, he was a "standout" over his four seasons, serving as the squad's first baseman.