Mets' Darin Ruf Attributes Lackluster Play in 2022 to Midseason Trade

Coming off a career-low .204 batting average, and a season in which he experienced a significant dip in production, New York Mets designated hitter Darin Ruf is looking to put 2022 behind him and bounce back this season.

Ruf began his career with the Philadelphia Phillies. After taking a three-year detour to play in the KBO League in South Korea, Ruf returned to the United States in 2020, signing a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants.

In his first two seasons with the Giants, Ruf excelled, slashing .272/.381/.900 with 21 home runs and 61 RBI over 157 games.

He took a significant step backwards in 2022, slashing .204/.307/.645 in 118 games between the Mets and Giants.

The Mets acquired Ruf from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for J.D. Davis, Carson Seymour, Nick Zwack and Thomas Szapucki, prior to the 2022 MLB trade deadline.

While platooning with Daniel Vogelbach in the club's designated hitter position, Ruf batted just .152, with a .216 On Base Percentage, .413 OPS, zero home runs and seven RBI in 28 games in New York.

Ruf was asked by reporters Tuesday why he believes his performance dipped in 2022. Ruf shared that he believes the midseason trade played a factor.

"I think midseason trades are tough on anybody," Ruf said. "I think performance stems from being comfortable, being in a rhythm, and I think whenever a midseason trade happens it affects people differently. I think my performance (in 2022) suffered from that."

Ruf didn't exactly set the world on fire, prior to the trade, however. He slashed .216/.328/.701 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 90 games with the Giants. There's no denying that Ruf's production declined after the deal, though. His batting average dropped 64 points, his On Base Percentage dropped 112 points and his OPS dropped nearly 300 points.

Fans and media alike often treat players like computers, but they are real life, human beings, too. Suddenly moving across the country from the west coast to the east coast, without any time to gather belongings and get acclimated before being asked to perform would be difficult for most people in any field, much less a professional athlete that is asked to perform in front of fans at the ballpark and on television, night in and night out.

Ruf is looking to put a forgettable 2023 season behind him. He is expected to split time at the designated hitter spot with Vogelbach and Tommy Pham this season.

Vogelbach recently underwent a transformation, dropping somewhere between 20 and 25 pounds over the offseason.

Ruf is currently limited, as he deals with arthritis in his wrist, but he hopes to return to taking swings in a couple of days.