DALLAS, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Justin Ruggiano, the Tampa Bay Rays' outfield prospect, has signed a deal this offseason to work with baseball's hottest hitting guru, Jaime Cevallos. Cevallos, known as "The Swing Mechanic," works with hitters on an approach called Positional Hitting and is best known for turning Ben Zobrist (Rays) into "Zobrilla" after the 2007 season.

In the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Zobrist had a .234 OBP, .275 SLG, and averaged 1 home run per 93 at-bats in two seasons in the Major Leagues. Then Zobrist met Cevallos at a hitting clinic in Nashville, TN, and the two began working on improving his swing. As ESPN reported in August, 2009, "Cevallos told Zobrist he could turn him into a power hitter. . . The results have been remarkable."

In the two years since working with Cevallos, Zobrist has a .387 OBP, .532 SLG, and has averaged 1 home run per 18 at-bats. "Jaime is way ahead of the game with his knowledge of hitting mechanics," said Zobrist. In 2009, Zobrist hit 27 home runs, posted a .405 OBP (4th in the AL) and won the Rays' team MVP award. Zobrist suggested that Ruggiano, a friend and teammate, work with Cevallos after the 2009 season.

Both Cevallos and Ruggiano live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and began working together in November. Although Cevallos wouldn't get into the specifics of the deal, he did say, "There are bonuses involved based on his performance. It holds me accountable, which is the way I like it."

Ruggiano has had limited time in the Major Leagues. In 2009 he played the entire season in Durham (AAA), finishing the year with 15 home runs and a .253 batting average. 2010 will be a big year for the 27-year-old Ruggiano, who was ready for a change. "The difference between Jaime and other hitting coaches is that Jaime truly is a swing mechanic," said Ruggiano. "He has the ability to pick apart your swing and get you into the best possible hitting positions."

Prior to working with Cevallos, Zobrist had a .200 batting average in the Major Leagues. Currently, Ruggiano's batting average in the Majors is also .200. Could it be a sign of things to come?

SOURCE TheSwingMechanic.com

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