Personal Best Offensive Pace: Meet Ruben Contreras

July 23, 2010

The following story about 2010 P-Rays' outfielder Ruben Contreras first appeared in the hard copy newsletters that were ditributed inm the team's program/yearbooks distributed for the July 14-16 P-Rays' home series versus the Bristol White Sox.

As the season progresses, Ruben Contrears, the 22 year-old P-Rays' outfielder from Santiago, Dominican Republic continues to work on pursuing his career in baseball. Contreras has played in 20 of the P-Rays 22 games this season. He currently (through the 22-game period) has 22 hits through 75 bats for a .293 average, which ranks third on the team. He is second on the team in RBIs with 11 and is first in total bases with 33. He also leads the team in stolen bases with four and runs with 13.

"The season has not gone the way I want it to," Contreras said. "But I'm trying to achieve the goals I have set for myself, and hopefully I will achieve them by the time the season is over with."

Contreras is beginning his fifth year in the Rays organization. He spent three years in the DSL and one in the GCL. He is on pace to have his best year so far, which is showing he is continuing to get better as he moves through the Rays' organization as he becomes a more experienced player.

"I've been working with the hitting coach (Wuarnner Rincones) a lot," Contreras said. "Every day I am working on my batting technique and the way I approach the ball with different counts."

Through his four years of professional baseball, Contreras has racked up 150 hits and driven in 75 runners. He has also shown patience at the plate walking 92 times in his four years including 40 times in 2008 with the DSL Rays. "It's the same baseball," Contreras said. "But in this league there is better pitching than there is down at the Gulf Coast League."

Contreras has begun to show another part of his game to help make him a more valuable outfielder. His speed has started to become a problem for opponents. His stolen base totals have went up from five in 2006 to 11 in 2009.

He has also given the Princeton fans perhaps the most memorable moment in any home game this season. On July 6, trailing in the bottom of the ninth to cross-county rival Bluefield, Contreras doubled to right bringing in the game winning run.

"The walk-off hit against Bluefield was the biggest moment I have had so far this year," Contreras said.

Contreras says he compares his game to major league Tampa Bay Rays' outfielder B.J. Upton. While he hopes to continue his career to the level Upton has achieved, he is enjoying his time in Princeton and playing with the P-Rays.

"I like it (Princeton)," Contreras said. "It's a real peaceful town and I like the atmosphere."

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