Mark Kotsay applauds Esteury Ruiz after impressive performance vs Yankees: “This kid does some special things"

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz sprinted his way into the record books on Tuesday after stealing his 40th base of the season against the New York Yankees.

The game ended 2-1 in favor of the Athletics as the young Dominican became the first A's player to achieve 40 stolen bases in a single season since 2011. Manager Mark Kotsay was full of praise for his speedy outfielder after helping his team win the game.

Esteury Ruiz was initially signed by the Kansas City Royals as an international free agent in 2015 before being traded to the San Diego Padres in 2017. In July 2022, he made his MLB debut before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers later in the season.

Ruiz signed for the Athletics in December 2022 and made the opening day roster, becoming a mainstay in the A's lineup. Since then, he has been impressive with his defensive work as well as his running between the bases.

He displayed his lightning speed once again on Tuesday to complete his 40th stolen base of the season and enter the Athletics' record books. Ruiz started his night with an RBI single in the third innings before going on to steal second base during a Jhony Brito pitch against Tony Kemp.

He become the first Athletics player to record 40 stolen bases in a single season since Coco Crisp in 2011 and the first to reach the landmark before July since 2015. Manager Mark Kotsay spoke to the media after the game and was full of praise for the young Dominican:

“This kid does some special things on the baseball field,” Kotsay said of Ruiz. “He continues to do good things on the field. At 40 bases in 81 games, that’s a pretty good feat right there.”

Oakland A's remain at the bottom of the division despite Esteury Ruiz's heroics

While the Oakland Athletics may have got the better of the New York Yankees on Tuesday, they remain the worst team in the country. They currently have the lowest wins in the MLB with a dismal 21-60 record which sees them at the bottom of their division and the league.

While Ruiz remains a singular ray of light for the Athletics, their season has been one of the worst in the history of the franchise, alongside the off-field saga surrounding their imminent move to Las Vegas that continues to grab headlines.