A former Livingston standout reached a lifelong goal over the weekend as the 272nd overall pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft. Taken in the ninth round, Damian Ruiz is one of the newest members of the Cincinnati Reds.
Whenever the news reached Ruiz, he was the focus of a draft party held with family at his grandmother’s home in Corrigan.
“My grandpa passed away last summer, and he was real big on me with baseball,” the outfield prospect said. “He truly believed that I was going to have a professional career, and we kind of felt like it was only right to have the draft party at my grandma's house where they were.”
Getting to professional baseball has long been a dream for Ruiz. Last year, he worked out for the Marlins and Angels in hopes of impressing, after an all-conference year at Lamar. Named Southland Conference Hitter of the Year in 2025, he led the Cardinals with 83 hits, batted .388 and broke a school record by scoring 76 runs. The highlight of that season was an incredible 32-game hit streak and 49 consecutive contests of reaching base.
“My agent told me that I could have entered the draft,” Ruiz said of last summer. “I might have got picked up by a team, but if I did, it probably wouldn't have been for much. The whole idea was just to kind of go step up, shift gears into a bigger conference, and put up some numbers. It'd be a whole lot easier to get drafted from there. So, that was kind of the plan that kind of led up to this year going to the SEC (Southeastern Conference), performing, putting up numbers, and then hopefully hearing my name called.”
Mississippi State, LSU and Arkansas were the three recruiting visits, eventually deciding on the Razorbacks. Some of the feedback he received from pro scouts was to put on additional muscle that would increase the power in his swing.
He would get that help in Fayetteville. Ruiz recalled one morning before a weight session when the team’s strength coordinator had him eat five plates of food. After a fall of taking down plenty of meals and dedicating himself to the weight room, he was able to pack on 16 pounds. The result was increased exit velocities, a stat every team analyzes to determine how hard the ball is hit.
He was a fixture this year in the Razorback outfield, starting all 54 games and hitting .309 with five home runs and 16 stolen bases. There was also a streak of 22 games that he reached base.
“Nothing against the Southland (Conference) pitching, but the SEC guys, it's a different world. Then again, it's the environment, too, that you're playing in. You're playing in front of like 11,000 people, on average, that show up to the games. It's just really loud.
“Guys are averaging 95-mph fastballs, but at the same time, can place their slider wherever they want and have like two or three different out-pitches that they can throw to you whenever. Compared to Lamar, you're kind of seeing on average like a 92-mph fastball, but they have one breaking ball that they can rely on. The whole difference is facing that high-level pitching in the SEC play.”
Understandably, the draft can cause anxious moments. Most have little knowledge of when they will be selected, and with each pick, the money attached decreases.
“My agent had just texted me after the sixth round or so. He's like, ‘It's kind of quiet right now. It's looking like you might get drafted from the 11th round to the 20th.’ And, I'm like, ‘OK, sounds good. Just keep me informed.’
“Maybe early ninth round, he gives me a call, and he's like, ‘Do you want to be a Cincinnati Red?’ Just, like, kind of randomly. I was not expecting this at all. Just so random. I said, ‘Are you kidding me? Yes, I want to be a Cincinnati Red.’
“And so, I get that phone call, and my whole family's just kind of looking at me, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise. I was just trying to tell them, ‘Cincinnati has me on the board, but hopefully they pick me up.’
Ruiz said it was difficult to hide the information from his family until the actual moment.
“My agent had already told me that they're picking me up. I was literally shaking. I couldn't lift a bottle of water without shaking my arm.
“I mean, whenever I heard my name get called, it was just surreal. It still, honestly, doesn't feel real. I just can't wait to get there and play.”
The plan was for Ruiz to fly into Phoenix Tuesday for a physical the next day.
As his professional journey begins, the former Lion star wanted to thank the community where it all started in Polk County.
“The support and everything, it's just unreal. I'm so grateful and thankful for you guys. I don't think I could be where I am without the support and love that I get from the community and my family.”
