Justin Ruggiano is a former professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on April 12, 1982, in Austin, Texas, and attended Anderson High School in Austin. After high school, Ruggiano attended Texas A&M University, where he played college baseball for the Texas A&M Aggies.
Ruggiano was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 25th round of the 2004 MLB draft. He spent several years in the Dodgers' minor league system before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2006. Ruggiano made his MLB debut with the Rays in 2007, but he spent most of his time in the minor leagues over the next few years.
In 2011, Ruggiano was traded to the Miami Marlins, where he had his best season in the majors. He played in 91 games for the Marlins that year, hitting .313 with 13 home runs and 36 RBIs. Ruggiano's performance earned him a spot on the Marlins' roster for the 2012 season, but he struggled to replicate his success from the previous year. He hit just .222 with four home runs and 16 RBIs in 91 games.
Ruggiano was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2014, where he played in 81 games and hit .281 with six home runs and 28 RBIs. He was then traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2015, but he struggled in his brief stint with the team, hitting just .214 in 36 games.
Ruggiano spent the 2016 season playing for the Texas Rangers and the New York Mets, but he struggled to find consistent playing time. He hit just .209 with two home runs and six RBIs in 39 games between the two teams.
Ruggiano's final season in the majors came in 2017, when he played for the San Francisco Giants. He hit .217 with three home runs and nine RBIs in 44 games for the Giants before being released in August.
Overall, Ruggiano played in 483 games over his 10-year MLB career, hitting .256 with 49 home runs and 153 RBIs. While he never became a star player, Ruggiano was a solid contributor for several teams throughout his career.
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