When Darnell Coles envisions the best version of Keibert Ruiz, he sees something that’s unapparent if you watch the Washington Nationals’ starting catcher this spring. This Ruiz is monumentally slumping. Coles extrapolates what he sees through the struggles to … what?

“An all-star,” said Coles, the Nationals’ hitting coach. “He’s an all-star. Elite bat-to-ball skills. Twenty to 25 home runs. Able to hit in the middle part of your lineup. The switch hitting means you don’t have to swap him out or pinch-hit for him in certain situations. And I think that he’s got the right mentality.”