WASHINGTON, D.C. - Keibert Ruiz has kicked off the 2025 baseball season in spectacular fashion, launching home runs in his first two games. His most recent feat came against the Philadelphia Phillies, where he not only demonstrated his switch-hitting skills but also contributed to a 2-0 lead for the Nationals. With another game against the Phillies on the horizon, fans are buzzing with anticipation to see if Ruiz can solidify his reputation as a "Phillies killer." His ability to hit from both sides of the plate has made him an early-season standout.

After a challenging 2024 season where his batting average dipped to .229 and his OPS dropped to .619, Ruiz arrived at Spring Training with a fierce determination to improve. In the Nationals' first two games, he’s shown no signs of slowing down in his mission to turn those numbers around.

Ruiz smashed a home run on Opening Day and followed it up with another in Saturday’s 11-6 loss to the Phillies at Nationals Park, becoming just the second player in team history (2005-present) to homer in the first two games of a season. Trea Turner previously achieved the same in 2021.

On Opening Day, Ruiz faced off against 2024 National League Cy Young Award runner-up Zack Wheeler in a fifth-inning showdown that became an instant classic. But his impact wasn’t limited to the batter’s box. Defensively, he set the tone early by throwing out his first baserunner of the season. When Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber, not exactly known for his speed, tried to steal second in the top of the second inning, Ruiz was ready. He fired a perfect strike to catch him out.

“Everything was good,” said Nationals manager Dave Martinez of his 26-year-old catcher, who threw out just 19.8 percent of basestealers last season. “His footwork was good. He went toward his target. The ball came out really good. His pop time was awesome. We’ve got to keep him right there.”

“It’s really nice to see good things happen,” added pitcher MacKenzie Gore. “You can be as confident as you want, but when things do happen well, it builds a lot. So him throwing out a guy, I’m sure he heard about it a lot in his career. It’s a great way to start the season. Obviously, hitting the homer was great. And he was dialed in behind the plate.”

Ruiz’s Opening Day battle against Wheeler was a testament to his tenacity. He worked the count to 3-0, took a strike, and then fouled off an incredible seven pitches. On the 12th pitch of the at-bat, he crushed a 96.1 mph fastball—just inside the zone—for a Statcast-projected 371-foot homer to right field.

“He’s really staying behind the ball really well,” Martinez observed. “He’s not jumping at the ball. He’s getting the ball in the zone, and when he hits the ball in the zone, he’s really good—and he hits the ball hard.”

“It was a long at-bat,” Ruiz reflected. “I was competing. Then, I won—and I was happy about that.”

Ruiz kicked off the season by going 2-for-4, with his Opening Day homer marking his first since September 3, 2024. He also etched his name in the record books as the first Nationals catcher in team history (2005-present) to homer on Opening Day.

“To do that, it’s amazing as it is,” Martinez said. “But to face [Wheeler] like that, what an incredible at-bat. Then, to get a ball up in the zone and drive it like he did, it was great.”

On Saturday, Ruiz entered the game with a 5-for-12 record against southpaw Jesús Luzardo, including a double and two RBIs from prior matchups when Luzardo pitched for the Marlins. Ruiz showed his familiarity with the lefty, hammering a 1-0 changeup a Statcast-projected 414 feet to left-center field with a 101.6 mph exit velocity—one of the few mistakes in Luzardo’s otherwise dominant 11-strikeout performance.

“The only bad pitch [Luzardo] made probably was the changeup to Ruiz,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “He just missed. He just kind of yanked it—down and in to the sweet spot. He golfed it out of there.”

Ruiz’s Opening Day performance in the Nationals’ loss to the Phillies was pivotal, signaling a promising shift after his struggles last season.

“It’s awesome,” Martinez said. “He works so hard, over the winter, during spring. He really wants to get off to a good start. My big thing with him is not to put that much pressure on him. Just go out there and play. He did the work. Now just go out there and have fun and play the game. He did that today.”