Wilkin Ruan

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #19 prospect in 2003
  In one of Omar Minaya's first moves as Expos general manager, he looked to stabilize his bullpen by acquiring Matt Herges from the Dodgers. The price proved to be steep, as Los Angeles came away with Guillermo Mota and Ruan. Mota made progress in middle relief and is a possible 97-98 mph set-up man for Eric Gagne. Ruan is more of a mystery. Last spring, he turned out to be a year older than previously believed. Scouts are split on his profile. Those who like him project him as a Gold Glove center fielder with a chance to develop power. Those who don't dispute his hitting potential but acknowledge that his defense will carry him to the big leagues. A free swinger with an overaggressive approach, Ruan made adjustments last year to iron out flaws in his swing. By lowering his hands in his stance, he takes a more direct path to the ball, and it paid off in Triple-A. His productivity still is below that of a quality outfielder. Ruan doesn't make enough contact or have enough discipline to hit at the top of the order, and he doesn't hit for enough power to bat in the middle. He uses his blazing speed well on the bases--where he improved his jumps on steals last year--and in center field. Ruan reminds scouts of Andruw Jones with his range and he has an above-average arm to boot. He needs more time in Triple-A to work on his approach at the plate.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #13 prospect in 2002
  Ruan has been one of the best athletes in the system for a while. In a midseason survey of Florida State League managers, he was named the circuit's fastest baserunner, best defensive outfielder and best outfield arm. He also earned a spot in the Futures Game, though he missed 31 games after a needless headfirst slide into second base fractured one of his fingers. He's the fastest runner in the system, with outstanding range, flychasing skills and basestealing potential. Ruan has a lean body that has gotten noticeably stronger in the past year. With his compact, line-drive swing and good bat speed, Expos officials see plenty of power potential in Ruan. Now he needs to start refining his tools. He's a free swinger who needs to be more selective at the plate, and his basestealing skills also could stand some improvement. He did begin to take some pitches in 2001, though the results didn't show up in his walk totals. Ruan will start 2002 in Double-A. If he progresses with the bat, he could be the long-term answer in center field for Montreal.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #9 prospect in 2001
  Ruan hit .348 in his pro debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 1997, then struggled mightily with the bat in his next two seasons. He emerged in 2000, finishing second in the Class A South Atlantic League in hits and stolen bases. Ruan has a wiry athletic body with well-defined muscles and loose flexible actions. He's an outstanding center fielder with well above-average flychasing skills and a cannon for an arm. In addition, he's a top-of-the-scale runner with good first-step quickness and keen baserunning ability. At the plate, Ruan has impressive bat speed and sprays line drives from line to line. He's aggressive at the plate to a fault. He's never going to have much power--he has just two homers in 305 games in the United States--and needs to concentrate on getting on base. His strike-zone judgment and pitch selection leave a lot to be desired. After two seasons in the Sally League, Ruan is ready for high Class A in 2002. The Expos already have a pair of young center fielders in the big leagues in Peter Bergeron and Milton Bradley, so competition awaits Ruan in the future.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Florida State League #14 prospect in 2001
  In a midseason survey of managers, Ruan was named the FSL's fastest baserunner, best defensive outfielder and best outfielder arm. He's far from a polished offensive player, though many managers see potential in his bat. Bradshaw compared him to a young Willie Wilson, though Ruan's strike-zone judgment has room for improvement. He needs to shorten up his swing--especially because he lacks power--and display more patience to take advantage of his blinding speed. His defense is another strength. "He's been great. Our field is huge and he saves us in center field," Leiper said. "He runs under everything and his arm is strong and accurate."
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #11 prospect in 2000
  Ruan batted .224 at Cape Fear in 1999 but emerged as a four-tool star in 2000. He finished second in the league in hits and stolen bases, made highlight-reel catches and showed a good arm. "He’s awesome," Gutierrez said. "He does everything. I like the way he plays the game and he’s a great outfielder. He made three unbelievable plays against us that were way over his head. We thought they were easy triples." Ruan is an aggressive player who hits hard line drives. He may be too aggressive, because he rarely draws walks, though he doesn’t strike out too much.

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Ruan batted .224 at Cape Fear in 1999 but emerged as a four-tool star in 2000. He finished second in the league in hits and stolen bases, made highlight-reel catches and showed a good arm. "He’s awesome," Gutierrez said. "He does everything. I like the way he plays the game and he’s a great outfielder. He made three unbelievable plays against us that were way over his head. We thought they were easy triples." Ruan is an aggressive player who hits hard line drives. He may be too aggressive, because he rarely draws walks, though he doesn’t strike out too much.