Harold Ramirez Stats & Scouting Report

AB	40
AVG	.25
OBP	.268
SLG	.4
HR	1

Full name Harold Andres Ramírez
Born 09/06/1994 in Cartagena, Colombia
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 232 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 05/11/2019

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Pirates traded Francisco Lirano along with Ramirez and catcher Reese McGuire in 2016 in exchange for righthander Drew Hutchison. After spending all of 2016 in the Double-A Eastern League, Ramirez repeated the level in 2017 but didn't show many signs of progress and the Blue Jays outrighted him off the 40-man roster in November. Ramirez is an unconventional player, starting with his compact frame. He ran well enough early in his career to play center field, though he's lost a step and now fits best in a corner. At the plate, Ramirez has a knack for putting the ball in play, with an approach geared toward using the middle of the field and shooting the ball the opposite way. He's strong and shows average raw power, but that doesn't translate into games, which is why his six home runs in 2017 were a career-high. There's more power potential in there if Ramirez can adjust his swing plane to generate more loft and learns which pitches he should try to turn on to drive with authority to his pull side, but that would entail a significant offensive overhaul.
The Blue Jays acquired Ramirez, a career .306 hitter in the minors, along with catcher Reese McGuire and lefty Francisco Liriano exchange for Drew Hutchison at the 2016 trade deadline. Ramirez had a mixed season, starting with a stint helping Colombia win its World Baseball Classic qualifier in March. He played more regular-season games than ever in his injury-plagued career, but backed up offensively and moved down the defensive spectrum. Ramirez always has shown hitting ability and has the bat speed and barrel ability to hit good fastballs. His raw power doesn't translate to games, in part because he isn't selective and because he often gets fooled by breaking balls. He is an above-average runner whose instincts haven't parlayed his speed into stolen bases or the ability to stay in center field. He has a fringe-average arm and fits better in left field if he can't stick in center. Ramirez has not been durable as a pro, and a left knee injury ended his season in early August. He still has yet to play 100 games in a season. Conditioning has never been a strong suit, but Ramirez is in a new organization and has a chance to change his reputation in 2017, which likely will start at Triple-A Buffalo.
Ramirez signed for $1.05 million out of Colombia in 2011. He hit .337/.399/.458 in 80 games at high Class A Bradenton in 2015--and owns a career .304 average-- but he has been hampered by various lower-body injuries, including a severely strained hamstring and shin splints. Ramirez can hit. He uses the whole field and makes consistently hard contact. He is also willing to take a walk, though he steps in the batter's box intent on hitting line drives. Ramirez does not drive the ball much despite his thick build, but his power production should improve as he continues to gain experience. Despite his physical stature, Ramirez plays a good center field, though he could wind up in left if he gets heavier. His arm is not strong enough to profile in right. Ramirez has above-average speed and is willing to take risks on the basepaths, though he tends to run into too many outs at this point in his career. A lack of overall focus can be a problem at times. Ramirez will start the 2016 season at Double-A Altoona, where he will be challenged by more advanced pitchers. Only injuries have slowed him to this point, and he is on pace to reach the big leagues in 2018.
The Pirates signed Ramirez out of Colombia for $1.05 million, a hefty bonus for a player from that country, and he has looked to be worth the investment so far. He played in just 49 games at low Class A West Virginia in 2014 as he dealt with quadriceps and hamstring injuries. Ramirez, however, played winter ball in Colombia, where he sought to regain the form that made him the No. 1 prospect in the short-season New York-Penn League in 2013. Though he doesn't look the part with his stocky build, Ramirez is an athlete. His flat swing is geared more for line drives to all fields than over-the-fence power, but he projects as at least an average hitter with well below-average power. He is an above-average runner who covers a lot of ground and runs good routes in center field, though his arm is below-average, and he has problems with balls hit directly at him. Ramirez's performance in spring training will dictate which Class A roster he inhabits in 2015. In the long term, his speed and defense make him a potential everyday center fielder.
When the Pirates signed Ramirez out of Colombia for $1.05 million, Latin American scouting director Rene Gayo threw out a Willie Mays comparison. That is obviously a bit of a stretch, but Ramirez wowed Pirates scouts as an amateur and has performed well since coming to the United States. He ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the short-season New York-Penn League in 2013 while playing at Jamestown. Ramirez has an exciting package of tools, first and foremost his ability to hit for average and consistently get on base. He has exceptionally large and strong hands that foreshadow a power increase as he gains more experience against professional pitching. Ramirez has above-average speed despite thick legs and good baserunning instincts. He possesses good range in center field. The only tool that is not plus is a fringe-average arm, more than enough for center field. Opposing managers in the NY-P thought he had some growing up to do, which is fairly normal for a player his age. Ramirez gives the Pirates yet another potential impact outfielder. He will join Austin Meadows in the low Class A West Virginia outfield in 2014. He has plenty of raw ability, and some members of the front office believe he has as much upside as any player in the system.
The Pirates signed Ramirez for $1.05 million in 2011, the second-highest bonus they have given an international free agent behind Luis Heredia's $2.6 million in 2010. They aggressively brought him straight to the United States for his pro debut last summer in the Gulf Coast League at age 17. He hit .319 in his first month in pro ball before wearing down and slumping afterward. Ramirez's top-of-the-scale speed will make him a valuable tablesetter at the top of the lineup if he develops enough plate discipline to get on base consistently. Pittsburgh expects him to develop respectable power, but scouts from other organizations question whether he'll ever drive the ball. In either case, he needs to focus on making contact and keeping the ball on the ground to take advantage of his quickness. He has more than enough speed to cover ground in center field, but Ramirez's defense is a work in progress and he played left field in the GCL. He runs poor routes and his arm is somewhat scattershot. Ramirez will try to refine his overall game in extended spring training before playing at short-season Jamestown in 2013.

Minor League Top Prospects

Coming off shin and hamstring injuries in 2014, Ramirez reported to spring training out of shape and got hurt in the spring as a result. His FSL season didn't start until late May, so he fell short of qualifying for the batting title. He likely would have won it had he played the full season, for he ranked among the FSL's top hitters from the time he got into the lineup. He held his own against righthanders (.877 OPS) and lefthanders (.785). While Ramirez played mostly right field in Bradenton in deference to Austin Meadows, some scouts believe he fits better in center than Meadows, with above-average speed and at least solid-average arm strength. Ramirez's best attribute, though, is his bat. Scouts have to project on his power but laud his ability to stay inside the ball consistently and drive the ball to both gaps. Ramirez's overall game can be sloppy in terms of focus. He runs at the wrong times on the bases and doesn't always put in the training time off the field, as was the case in the offseason. As one manager put it: "He can be the best player on the field--when he wants to be."
The Pirates signed Ramirez for $1.05 million, the second-highest bonus they had ever paid an international player. He debuted in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League last summer and took a big step forward as one of the youngest players in the NY-P this year, tying for the league lead in stolen bases (23) while also driving balls with more authority. Ramirez has premium speed and makes good use of it by always running hard. He has continued to refine his routes in center field, where he is an aggressive defender with good range plenty of arm strength. Though he still is maturing physically, Ramirez flashes at least average raw power with a chance for more. He had his share of strikeouts, but opposing managers lauded his two-strike approach while also saying he can turn on balls in advantage counts. Ramirez has good pitch recognition and can handle offspeed pitches as well as fastballs, giving him a chance to be an impact hitter in the big leagues. He still has some growing up to do?as one manager put it, ?You?ll see some things that 18-year-olds do??but his all-around package of tools and skills is tantalizing, and his performance against much older competition was quite encouraging.

Top 100 Rankings

Best Tools List

Rated Fastest Baserunner in the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013

Career Transactions

Washington Nationals selected the contract of RF Harold Ramírez from Rochester Red Wings.
RF Harold Ramírez assigned to Rochester Red Wings.
Washington Nationals signed free agent RF Harold Ramírez to a minor league contract.
Tampa Bay Rays released RF Harold Ramírez.
Tampa Bay Rays designated RF Harold Ramírez for assignment.
Tampa Bay Rays activated RF Harold Ramírez.
Colombia activated RF Harold Ramírez.

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