Darin Ruf

Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and played at Westside High School. Subsequently, he attended Creighton University, and excelled playing baseball there before the Phillies drafted him in 2009. In the minor leagues, he initially hit for a high batting average, but in 2011 combined that with power numbers to become one of the Phillies' top prospects. He made his major league debut in September 2012, after having hit 38 home runs to lead the Eastern League. In 2013, he split time between Triple-A and the major league Phillies, and was among the league's top rookies during the season. He was embroiled in a roster battle for a bench spot entering 2014, but hurt his oblique, and landed on the disabled list prior to the season.