For nine seasons former Dodger Matt Kemp wore jersey number 27. During that time he hit 182 home runs, 33 triples, 215 doubles and drove in 648 runs – including a league-leading 126 RBIs in 2011 when he was robbed of the NL MVP award by admitted PED user Ryan Braun. And love him or hate him, Kemp wore that jersey number proudly.

On August 31, the Dodgers acquired 33-year-old outfielder Justin Ruggiano from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for cash considerations just minutes before the waiver trade deadline. The seven-year MLB veteran had spent time with the Tampa Bay Rays under then assistant general manager Andrew Friedman, the Miami Marlins, the Chicago Cubs and the Mariners. He had a combined career triple-slash of .254 / .319 / .426 for an OPS of .745. In addition to his career 45 home runs and 145 RBIs, Ruggiano has an impressive .986 career fielding percentage. Although he has spent most of his career in center field, he is equally efficient as a corner outfielder.

On September 1, Dodgers clubhouse manager Mitch Poole assigned Ruggiano jersey number 27, which is still one of the most frequently seen jerseys at Dodger Stadium.

Since joining the Dodgers, Ruggiano is only 4 for 11 (.455), has hit two doubles, two home runs and has driven in six runs. He has a .500 on-base percentage and an unheard of 1.182 slugging percentage for an astronomical 1.682 OPS – in only five games. And while no one expects the Austin, Texas native to keep up these kind of numbers, he is currently out-hitting every other Dodger outfielder.

Ruggiano led off Tuesday night’s game against the Angels with a solo home run to center field.

He followed that up with a ground rule double down the left field line in his second at-bat.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although it is unlikely that Ruggiano will take over as one of the Dodgers three everyday outfield spots, he certainly gives Dodgers manager Don Mattingly a heck of an option as a pinch-hitter or as a double-switch candidate in the later innings. However, if Mattingly (and Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi) want to put the best eight players out there during the stretch run, it’s going to be very difficult to keep Ruggiano on the bench every day.

And how does Ruggiano feel about playing for the team that initially drafted him in the 25th round of the 2004 First Year Player Draft and gave him his start in professional baseball?

“We’re playing for the playoffs right now,” Ruggiano said. “All of a sudden I get thrust into this team and I get to be part of it and I just feel blessed that I get to be here really. I mean, you want to do well for the fans, you want to do well for my new teammates and this organization that drafted me back in 2004. So to me it’s got a lot of meaning, it’s really close to my heart, this organization that gave me my start.”

Wear that Dodgers jersey number 27 proudly, Justin. Who knows, maybe you’ll even have the same kind of success with it that the guy who proudly wore it before you did.