Watch: Washington Nationals Catcher Smokes Two Home Runs in Latest Start

The Washington Nationals are hoping that starting catcher Keibert Ruiz can put together a strong effort this season.

With a lineup burgeoning with promising young talent with high ceilings, Washington needs the best out of its established veterans to provide the high floor the club will need if they hope to make good on their longshot bid to end their postseason drought.

At just 26 years of age, it's odd to think of Ruiz as a veteran, but that is exactly what he is in comparison to players like outfielders Dylan Crews and James Wood and shortstop C.J. Abrams.

Ruiz struggled mightily at the plate in 2024, posting a triple slash line of .229/.260/.359 with 13 home runs and 57 runs batted in.

Those all marked huge dips from his 2023 prouction, a year in which he slashed .260/.308/.409 while hitting 18 homers and driving in 67 runs.

Ruiz represents a cornerstone of a previous chapter of the Nationals' rebuild, as he was a centerpiece of the 2021 blockbuster trade in which Washington sent both Trea Turner and Max Scherzer to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline.

The backstop then signed an eight-year contract extension before the 2023 season to lock himself in as a cornerstone of Washington's core, and when he's performing at his best, his average annual value of $6.25-million is a bargain on the Nationals' books.

As Ruiz prepares for the 2025 season, he made a positive impact in Thursday's spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals, as he clubbed two home runs in the game. The pair are his first home runs of the spring, and they bumped his OPS to a strong .980.