MIAMI -- One of a handful of 23-year-olds with the Nationals, Keibert Ruiz has demonstrated wisdom beyond his years this season. The catcher’s ability to help Washington's pitchers maintain focus and execute their game plan in high-leverage situations has made him a mainstay behind the plate in his first full season in the Majors.

On Wednesday night, Ruiz showed off his talent behind the plate and at it -- even showcasing his switch-hitting abilities. Ruiz had a career day at the plate in the Nationals' 10-inning, 5-4 win over the Marlins in the series finale at loanDepot park. With the victory, Washington avoided being swept by Miami for a second time this season.

“What a tremendous game,” said manager Dave Martinez of Ruiz’s 3-for-3, two-walk game. “Honestly, behind the plate, hitting, everything -- he’s a good all-around player, and he's getting better. Like I said, every time he's out [there], he's getting better.”

The Nationals acquired Ruiz from the Dodgers last season as part of number of Deadline deals. He, along with pitcher Josiah Gray -- who threw 95 pitches (65 strikes) and struck out seven over six innings on Wednesday -- were two key prospects acquired from the Dodgers and meant to serve as crucial pieces in Washington's rebuilding efforts.

While the pair found success as the Nationals’ starting battery on Wednesday, it was Ruiz who truly shone. After all, the catcher reached base in all five of his plate appearances and hit two doubles, each from a different side of the plate. It marked the first time in his career that Ruiz reached base five times in one game.

“It's huge,” added Martinez on Ruiz’s switch-hitting success. “What they've been working on … he's starting to get more walks, he’s starting to stay on top of the baseball. He's hitting the ball all over the field, which is great.

“But his catching, his game-calling, his blocking -- everything's gotten so much better. And I'm so happy for him that he had a game like that today. And, hopefully, he'll continue to do that … he was awesome.”

Ruiz has hit safely in eight of his past 12 games and has reached base in 10 of 12 games. Ruiz ranks first among National League players with a 9.8% strikeout rate, ahead of the Rockies’ Jose Iglesias (10.4%) and teammate Josh Bell (10.6%).

While Ruiz remains fairly reserved in the clubhouse, when he’s playing he brings an intensity and competitiveness to the field. That’s part of what makes him a great backstop: he’s able to communicate quickly and effectively with the Nationals' pitchers. That’s one of the areas where Martinez has seen Ruiz grow the most.

“He's taking responsibility about trying to get this pitching staff online,” Martinez said, “and trying to do everything to help them during the game. You saw him today with Josiah, there's a lot of high-leverage situations and he calmed [him] down -- Josiah made pitches when he had to and Keibert was good, his game-calling was great. … Like I said, he's getting better every day. I love it.”

Gray loves it too: both Ruiz’s catching and his hitting. Ruiz leads all Major League catchers in hits (31) and batting average (.282). Ruiz hit .273 across 29 Major League games last year, 23 of which were with the Nationals.

“It’s awesome seeing the growth with him at the plate [and] him behind the plate,” Gray said. “We're both young guys and, obviously, when someone's talking about one [of us], they’re probably talking about the other. So to see him have continued success is awesome. We feed off that, and it's a lot of fun to see. And I think that growth is going to be tremendous for us this season and as we continue on.”

For Ruiz, part of what makes him and Gray a successful battery is their shared desire to compete. Both set out wanting to do all they can to help the Nationals win, but also to continue to grow and execute what they've worked on.

That competitive drive often shows with Ruiz pounding his glove while telling his pitchers to make their pitches. Knowing that he has that fire and competitive edge inside him helps the pitchers, especially Gray, get a boost of energy.

“I trust him completely,” reliever Víctor Arano said through interpreter Octavio Martinez. “I think that’s the biggest thing [it's] that we work together very well. It gives me great confidence to know that I can throw a pitch wherever he calls it -- that we’re going to be able to get the job done, because I trust him and I know he’s a great catcher.”