Ryan Ludwick

Infobox MLB player
name=Ryan Ludwick

---

width=150
position=Right fielder
team=St. Louis Cardinals
number=47
bats=Right
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1978|7|13
birthplace=city-state|Satellite Beach|Florida
debutdate=June 5
debutyear=2002
debutteam=Texas Rangers
statyear=2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.273
stat4label=Home runs
stat4value=65
stat5label=Runs batted in
stat5value=209
stat6label=Slugging percentage
stat6value=.512
teams=
*Texas Rangers (by|2002-by|2003)
*Cleveland Indians (by|2003-by|2005)
*St. Louis Cardinals (by|2007-present)
awards=
* All-Star selection (2008)

Ryan Andrew Ludwick (born July 13, 1978 in Satellite Beach, Florida) is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. His brother Eric played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.

High school

Ludwick attended Durango High School (Nevada) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

UNLV Rebels

Ludwick played for the UNLV Rebels for three seasons before being drafted in by|1999 by the Oakland Athletics in the second round, 60th overall. At UNLV, where he was named to the Baseball America all-Freshman team in by|1997 after batting .354 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI, he was All-WAC in by|1999, hitting .381 with 13 home runs and 69 RBI. Ludwick had a .363 career batting average at UNLV. [http://www.ryanludwick.com/information.htm]

Early career

Ludwick was originally a second round draft choice of the Oakland Athletics. Ludwick was traded to the Texas Rangers before the by|2002 season, along with Gerald Laird, Jason Hart, and Mario Ramos, for first baseman Carlos Peña and pitcher Mike Venafro.

Ludwick made his major league debut with the Rangers in mlby|2002, but his season was cut short when he fractured his hip in 2002, an injury which significantly hampered his career. In mlby|2003, Ludwick was traded by the Rangers to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Ricardo Rodríguez and outfielder Shane Spencer. Ludwick spent the by|2006 season playing for the Toledo Mud Hens, the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, and was named to the International League team for the 2006 Triple-A All-Star Game. Ludwick enjoyed great success in the Detroit organization, but the Tigers just had too many young outfielders, therefore they let him go.

t. Louis Cardinals

In by|2007, Ludwick was invited to spring training by the St. Louis Cardinals and started in Triple-A Memphis. On May 6, mlby|2007, Ludwick was promoted to the St. Louis Cardinals after Preston Wilson went on the DL. Ludwick had been hitting well for Memphis.

His fast start in mlby|2008 earned him an everyday player role. Ryan was named to his first All-Star game on July 6, and played it at Yankee Stadium. Ludwick won the National League Player of the week the week of July 27-August 2. On August 14, Ludwick hit his 29th home run [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/gamelog?playerId=5036 Game log 2008] of the 2008 season; this broke the record for the most home runs in a season by a player who throws left-handed yet bats right-handed previously held by Ricky Henderson. [http://www.baseball-reference.com/sotd/archives/743 most home runs by a player throwing LH batting RH Ricky Henderson. ] As of September 7, Ludwick is batting .297 with a .372 on-base percentage and a .585 slugging percentage. His 32 home runs, 95 runs scored, and 99 RBI each rank in the top 10 in the National League, while his .585 slugging percentage is the fourth highest in the majors.

Ludwick is mainly a right-fielder, but also gets playing time in left field and occasionally in center field. Ludwick is a rare left-handed player who bats solely right-handed. He is similar to future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson in this way.

Career Statistics

External links

*baseballstats|mlb=407886 |espn=5036 |br=l/ludwiry01 |fangraphs=1260 |cube=L/ryan-ludwick
* [http://stlcardinals.scout.com/a.z?s=321&p=8&c=1&nid=3488980 Ludwick player profile page at stlcardinals.scout.com]