Ex-Met Ruf: N.Y. woes ‘magnified’ by media, fans

Darin Ruf is happy to be back with the San Francisco Giants after a rough stretch in New York, where he says his struggles with the Mets were “magnified” by the media and fans.

Ruf signed a minor league deal with the Giants this past Saturday, returning to San Francisco after a failed stint with the Mets, who released the veteran slugger earlier this month.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, Ruf discussed his comfort with the Giants but also touched on his time with New York, where he batted just .152 with no home runs, seven RBIs and a .197 slugging percentage in 28 games.

Acquired to add right-handed punch to New York’s lineup, Ruf instead became a target of criticism for Mets fans because of his performance at the plate.

“Anywhere you struggle, fans are going to be tough on you, but in New York it’s magnified,” Ruf told The Athletic. “I think the media there really runs with what fans’ perceptions are.

“So you’re kind of getting crushed by two entities. Even if you’re not on social media a heck of a lot, you still have an idea and you see things.”

Ruf’s struggles were exacerbated by the success of J.D. Davis, who was traded to San Francisco by the Mets as part of the deal. Davis, now a regular in San Francisco’s lineup, batted .263 with eight homers in 49 games with the Giants after the Aug. 2 trade.

“I can’t do anything about it,” Ruf said. “J.D. did so well, which isn’t shocking because he’s a great player. But when you get traded, you can’t let that get in your head — who was given up, how much was given up — because then that adds way too much pressure.”

The Mets designated Ruf for assignment at the end of spring training, then released him April 3 after being unable to find a trade partner for the 36-year-old first baseman/outfielder. He batted just .167 with one RBI in 11 spring training games with New York.

Although he isn’t on the Giants’ major league roster, Ruf admits he’s happy to be back with the organization where he enjoyed his best career season in 2021, when he batted .271 with a career-high 16 homers.

“There’s not a better spot for me to go where people know me, I know them, I’m comfortable,” he said. “It’s been great being back and working with people I love working with.”