The emergence of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick was one of the more notable surprises during the 2008 season. The much traveled and often injured Ludwick had finally reached a point where his potential began to pay dividends, and St. Louis was the beneficiary.
Ludwick made the National League All-Star team for the first time last season and finished the year batting .299 with 37 home runs and 113 RBI’s.
Among the many questions entering the 2009 season was whether Ludwick would be able to approach the same numbers he produced last year.
After 13 games, it would appear Ludwick is proving his 2008 season wasn’t a fluke.
Ludwick has played in 10 games this season and is generating better power numbers than Albert Pujols. With so many teams pitching around El Hombre, Ludwick is getting an opportunity to make the opposition pay.
Ludwick is hitting .405 (17-for-42) with five homers and 15 RBI’s. His OPS is a whopping 1.277 and he’s currently on a 21-game hitting streak dating to last season.
He has driven in runs in six of his last seven games and in the National League ranks first or second in batting average, RBI’s, home runs, OPS and slugging percentage.
Ludwick’s long journey to the present day has been riddled with multiple injuries and organizations.
Ludwick was originally a second round draft choice of the Oakland Athletics in 1999. He spent his time in the A’s organization playing in the minor leagues. He was traded to the Texas Rangers before the 2002 season, where he made his major league debut.
However, his season was cut short when he fractured his hip, the first of many injuries which significantly hampered his career.
In 2003, Ludwick was traded by the Rangers to the Cleveland Indians. From that point until 2006, Ludwick spent most of his time on the disabled list or on rehab assignments in the minors. After bouncing around the Indians organization, the Detroit Tigers signed him to a minor league contract on January 10, 2006.
Finally healthy after four injury-plagued years, Ludwick spent the 2006 season playing for the Toledo Mud Hens and was named to the International League team for the 2006 Triple-A All-Star Game.
After being released by the Tigers at the end of the 2006 season, St. Louis signed him to a minor league deal on December 18, 2006. He was invited to spring training by the Cardinals in 2007 but didn’t make the club. Ludwick was sent to Triple-A Memphis where he started in right field and produced very respectable numbers.
On May 6, 2007, Ludwick was called up by the Cardinals after Preston Wilson went on the disabled list. He’s been on the Cardinals 25-man roster ever since.
After last season’s success, Ludwick was rewarded with a one-year contract that pays him $3.7 million – a substantial increase over his 2008 deal that paid him $411,000.
If Ludwick continues to produce the same type of numbers he’s currently generating, suffice it to say the dollar amount of his next contract will be much higher.
