First mile · July 25, 2026
The Runner Who Isn't Afraid
Esteury Ruiz reached 100 career stolen bases the way he runs — without hesitation.
100 career stolen bases · MIA
Not Afraid
The key to basestealing, Esteury Ruiz said, is not being afraid. Asked once what kind of car he would be, he chose a Formula 1 race car — fast, and a fierce competitor. He has said the two things that matter most to him are God and his family, ahead of baseball, a game he has wanted to pursue since he was a little kid. He shares his hometown of Azua, Dominican Republic, with Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara, now his teammate in Miami.
On July 25, 2026, in a Marlins uniform, Ruiz reached 100 career stolen bases.
The Decade Between
Ruiz signed with the Kansas City Royals for $100,000 in July 2015, scouted out of the Dominican Republic by Edys de Oleo. In 2017 he earned Arizona League MVP honors after a rookie-ball season built on extra-base hits and a high average. The major leagues took longer. He debuted on July 12, 2022, with the Padres and singled in his first at-bat.
That first season split between San Diego and Milwaukee. In 2023, with Oakland, Ruiz led the American League with 67 stolen bases — the AL rookie record. He stayed with the Athletics through 2024, spent 2025 with the Dodgers, and landed in Miami for 2026. Manager Clayton McCullough has watched him force opponents to alter their cadence and split their focus between the runner and the hitter. Coach Craig Driver, who worked with Ruiz before, compared his speed to Billy Hamilton's but said Ruiz was more refined in how he studies and prepares for baserunning opportunities.
Still Going
Through 277 major-league games across five seasons, Ruiz has 106 stolen bases and a .243 average with 14 home runs and 70 RBIs. He told MLB.com that if he were not playing baseball he would be a businessman, probably in real estate, describing himself as aggressive — like a shark that smells blood and attacks opportunities.
He is 27, still in Miami, still playing the outfield.
Reporting: MLB.com, Miami Herald / Fish On First, MiLB.com, Baseball Player Profiles, Wikipedia. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.