Ruegger signs with Yankees, throws shutout inning in pro debut
Charles O'Brien
HOBOKEN, N.J. (July 26, 2018) – Former Stevens Institute of Technology baseball player Charlie Ruegger began his professional baseball career Monday with a scoreless inning for the Rookie League Gulf Coast Yankees. The New York Yankees selected Ruegger in the 33rd round of Major League Baseball's First Year Player Draft in June and then signed the right-hander prior to the July 6 deadline.
"We scouted Charlie multiple times this spring and summer while he was pitching for both Stevens and Wisconsin Rapids," said Damon Oppenheimer, Yankees VP, Domestic Amateur Scouting. "He impressed us with his ability to locate his fastball, which has quality sink and ranges from 89 to 94 miles per hour. He was also able to locate his slider, and it showed potential to be a swing-and-miss pitch. We also like Charlie's size and growth potential, and we can envision him developing even more velocity once he immerses himself in our strength & conditioning program and pitching program."
As a junior, the Morris Plains, New Jersey native went 8-2 with a 2.58 ERA in his first season as a full-time starting pitcher, while setting a program record with 97 strikeouts. Ruegger was named Empire 8 Conference Pitcher of the Year and also earned First Team All-New York Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). The 6-foot-6 pitcher spun three complete games, including one shutout, and led the E8 in both wins and ERA. He fanned at least six in every start and posted two double-digit strikeout performances, highlighted by a one-hit, 15-strikeout gem against SUNY Canton on March 30, which resulted in Ruegger earning National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division III National Pitcher of the Week recognition.
Over his three seasons on Castle Point, Ruegger finished with 11 wins against only 3 losses and struck out 142 over 133 career innings. The right-hander spent his sophomore campaign at the back end of the Stevens bullpen and finished tied for 14th in the country with eight saves.
He was the second player in program history to be selected in the MLB First Year Player Draft. The Minnesota Twins selected Stevens Hall of Famer David Garcia in the 23rd round of the 1973 draft.
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