Keibert Ruiz Joins in on Washington Nationals' Stolen Base Parade, Claims MLB Lead

The Washington Nationals lead the league with 209 stolen bases this season, thanks in part to Keibert Ruiz standing alone as the only MLB catcher to steal third twice in 2024.

Jun 5, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (20) steals second against Cincinnati Reds third baseman Brandon Drury (22) during the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. / David Kohl-Imagn Images

Keibert Ruiz isn't exactly known for his blazing speed.

The Washington Nationals backstop ranks in MLB's fifth percentile with an average sprint speed of 25.0 feet per second this season, according to Baseball Savant. That puts the 6-foot, 238-pound Ruiz in 65th place among big league catchers.

And yet, he leads his position in one key baserunning stat.

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a single, a double and an RBI in the Nationals' 4-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, fresh off legging out a two-bagger, Ruiz stole third base.

It marked Ruiz's third stolen base of the season, and his second time stealing third. As noted by the Nationals' Communications team, Ruiz is now the only catcher in MLB this season to steal third more than once.

With his steal of third base in the sixth inning, Keibert Ruiz is now the only catcher in Major League Baseball to steal third more than once this season.

— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) September 14, 2024

The Nationals lead the league with 209 stolen bases so far this season, putting them 12 ahead of the Cincinnati Reds in two fewer games played. They are the first team since the 1996 Colorado Rockies to steal over 200 bases in a season.

On top of that, Washington has had 23 different players steal at least one base in 2024. That hadn't been done since the 1917 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ruiz, naturally, doesn't rank towards the top of the team leaderboards in stolen bases. The top spot belongs to center fielder Jacob Young with 32, while shortstop CJ Abrams ranks second with 29.

Between Abrams, Young, Ruiz, James Wood, Dylan Crews, José Tena, Luis García Jr. and Nasim Nuñez, Washington boasts quite the collection of talent aged 26 or younger. That offensive core should therefore hang around for a long time, giving them a chance to snap the Nationals' five-year postseason drought in the near future.

Ruiz, for instance, has been locked up on an eight-year, $50 million contract that runs through at least 2030. He may only be batting .231 with 13 home runs, 51 RBI, a .629 OPS and a 0.6 WAR this season – all of which are dips from his breakout 2023 campaign – but he remains an above-average starting catcher.

And that isn't even accounting for his league-leading prowess on the basepaths.

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