Wathan, Ruf and May Featured in 2025 Fightin Phils Hall of Fame Class

(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils, Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, are excited to announce that former Manager Dusty Wathan, along with Darin Ruf and Trevor May, will be inducted into the Penn State Health Children's Hospital Reading Baseball Hall of Fame.

The trio will be inducted prior to the Fightin Phils' game on Thursday, June 12, against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. First pitch is at 7 p.m. and fans are encouraged to arrive early to watch the induction ceremony. In celebration of the 75th Anniversary of America's Classic Ballpark, the first 2,500 adults will also receive a Roger Maris bobblehead.

Dusty Wathan managed the Fightin Phils for five seasons, from 2012-16, and is the winningest manager in R-Phils history. Over his time in Baseballtown, Wathan compiled 373 wins along with a .527 winning percentage. He saw much of his managing success during the 2015 and '16 seasons, where he led the Fightin Phils to back-to-back Eastern Division Championships and was also named Eastern League Manager of the Year for both of those campaigns.

Reading's 2015 Eastern Division title under Wathan was the team's first since 2001. He also managed the R-Phils to the postseason in his first season at the helm in 2012. Wathan remains the only manager in Fightin Phils history to manage the team for five-straight seasons.

Overall, Wathan spent 10 seasons as a manager in the Phillies organization. He began with the Short-A Williamsport Crosscutters in 2008, then managed Single-A Lakewood in 2009. Wathan followed that by spending two seasons as the manager of the A-Advanced Clearwater Threshers. Following his five-year stint with Reading, Wathan managed the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2017 to 80 wins and a postseason appearance.

His other accomplishments included managing in the Arizona Fall League in 2012 and was named the 2009 South Atlantic League Manager of the Year after guiding Lakewood to the 2009 South Atlantic League championship.

As a player, Wathan spent 14 seasons in the minor league systems of Seattle, Florida, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Cleveland and the Phillies. He appeared in over 1,000 minor league games and made his Major League debut in 2002, having three hits over three games with the Kansas City Royals. Wathan spent 2006 with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and most of 2007 with Ottawa in the Phillies system. He appeared in one game for Reading in 2007.

Wathan now serves as the third base coach and catching instructor for the Philadelphia Phillies, a role he has held since being hired following the 2017 season. He's helped lead the Phillies to three-straight postseason appearances, including the 2022 National League Championship and 2024 NL East title.

Darin Ruf spent the 2012 season with Reading and played under Wathan. Ruf turned in a historic 2012 campaign, slashing .317/.408/.620 (1.028 OPS), while adding 32 doubles, 38 home runs and 104 RBI. Ruf's 38 home runs set a franchise record at the time, surpassing Ryan Howard's 37 long balls from 2004. He now sits tied for second in single-season home runs with Rhys Hoskins (2016), both trailing Dylan Cozens' 40 home runs from 2016.

Additionally, Ruf's 104 RBI from the 2012 season currently sit as tied for fourth in Reading history for runs driven in during a single season. He made his big league debut later that season and remained with the Phillies through 2016. After playing in Japan from 2017-19, Ruf spent the 2021 and '22 season with the San Francisco Giants, before a brief stint with the Mets to finish 2022. He returned to the Giants in 2023 and finished his career with the Brewers.

Ruf, who the Phillies selected in the 20th round in 2009 out of Creighton, currently works as an Assistant Baseball Coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Trevor May rounds out the 2025 Hall of Fame Class after spending the 2012 season with the Fightin Phils. He made 28 starts and struck out 151 hitters over 149.2 innings pitched. His 151 strikeouts led the Eastern League during the 2012 season and only Jesse Biddle in 2013 has surpassed 150 strikeouts in a season for a R-Phils pitcher since May did it in 2012.

The Phillies drafted May in the fourth four of the 2008 draft out of Kelso High School in Washington. After an impressive 2011 season with Clearwater, May was named the Paul Owens Award winner as the Phillies best minor league pitcher. Following the 2012 season, May was traded to the Minnesota Twins, with Vance Worley, for Ben Revere.

May made his major league debut in 2014 with the Twins and remained with the organization from 2014-20. He then pitched for the New York Mets in 2021 and '22, before finishing his career with the Oakland Athletics in 2023.

Single-game tickets for the 2025 season are on sale NOW and fans can get tickets to Hall of Fame Night, or any game in 2025 HERE. Fans can also purchase season tickets, a mini plan or flex bank, a General Admission 10 Pack or group outing for the upcoming season.

The Fightin Phils return to FirstEnergy Stadium to open the 2025 season against the Portland Sea Dogs on Friday, April 4, at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL or in-person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office.

The 2025 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.