Harold Ramirez

Ramirez was nagged by a hamstring injury for the second consecutive season and also split time in the Cleveland outfield in 2021. Despite being limited to 361 plate appearances as a result, Ramirez has proven to possess the ability to make contact consistently (18.2 K%) across three major-league seasons, but he lacks plate discipline (3.9 BB%, 45.2 O-swing%) and power (.130 ISO, 6.3% barrel rate). Despite boasting 88th percentile sprint speed, Ramirez has never recorded more than three stolen bases in a season, all of which leads to him posting a respectable batting average but little else. Not surprisingly, Ramirez wasn't a priority for Cleveland to retain this offseason, and he was designated for assignment in late November. Though he was dealt to the Cubs, a team with potential playing time available in the outfield, several rebuilding clubs have given up on Ramirez in the past due to his lack of upside, so everyday playing time isn't assured.

The Marlins' season was interrupted early on by a COVID-19 outbreak among the team and staff and Ramirez was one of the players who tested positive. It took more than a month for Ramirez to get to the point where he could play major-league baseball, and he appeared in just one game upon his return before a left hamstring strain put him back on the shelf for good. Ramirez was in the lineup more often than not in 2019, coming to the plate 446 times. A meager 4.0 BB% saddled him with a .312 OBP that year, but Ramirez has decent bat-to-ball skills, a little pop and a little speed. Plus, while Miami is getting better, right field looks up for the taking. Still just 26, Ramirez is a candidate to re-emerge if he's fully healed after an offseason of rest, but that re-emergence would be back onto the NL-only scene, not the mixed-league scene.

After stalling out at Double-A with Pittsburgh and Toronto, Ramirez signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins prior to the 2019 season and made his big-league debut in May after impressing across 31 games at Triple-A. Aside from a July swoon, Ramirez put together a surprisingly solid rookie campaign, hitting .276/.312/.416 across 446 plate appearances (119 games). The outfielder doesn't walk much (4.0 BB%), and -- thanks in part to his heavy groundball tendencies (57.4 GB%) -- his power is nothing to write home about (.140 ISO, 11 home runs), which limits his value in a poor Marlins lineup. Ramirez likely profiles best as a fourth outfielder down the road, though with Miami in the midst of a rebuild, he'll have a chance to win a spot in the team's starting outfield to begin the 2020 season; it could only be temporary, however, with a pair of well-regarded outfield prospects looming at Triple-A.

Ramirez was part of the haul that brought Francisco Liriano to Toronto in August. He was an above average hitter (112 wRC+) in the Eastern League for Double-A Altoona while smashing 29 extra-base hits, including 17 doubles and seven triples. From 2012 to 2015, he stole 66 bases in 100 attempts. However, in his first Double-A season, Ramirez was only successful on seven of 17 attempts, evidence that he is not going to be much of a threat in that department going forward. His bat-to-ball skills are excellent, but the power has not come and plus speed is a thing of the past, so there is not much left to get excited about. He could offer a high batting average with minimal counting stats in the coming years if the Blue Jays ever run out of superior options, but he is starting to look like a fourth outfielder long term.

The 21-year-old has set himself apart from other prospects, boosting his numbers every season since signing as a free agent out of Columbia at 17 years of age. In 2015, Ramirez saw his first action for High-A Bradenton, slashing .337/.399/.458 with four homers and 22 stolen bases. Ramirez’s body type — he stands 5-foot-10, 205 pounds — projects as an extra-base hit bat. He continues to steal bases but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the power numbers go up and the stolen bases go down. Look for Ramirez to start the season in Bradenton with a potential midseason move to Double-A Altoona.

A hamstring injury forced Ramirez to miss time in 2014, but when he played, he showed good speed with an ability to hit for average. The outfielder compiled a .309/.364/.402 composite line in 226 plate appearances with Low-A West Virginia. He was named the top prospect in the New York-Penn league in 2013. At age 20 and with parts of three minor league seasons behind him, Ramirez seems primed to put together a strong showing in 2015. The organization will need to decide whether to keep Ramirez and fellow outfield prospect, Austin Meadows, at the same level, but Ramirez simply needs to stay healthy and let his natural ability take over.