RAMIREZ FIGURES IN JAYS’ MOUND MIX
Lanky former outfielder has made a successful transition to pitching
Pete Walker is the Blue Jays’ pitching coach, not their publicity director. But he did think there was a very significant ‘under-reported’ story from last season.
The story of right-handed pitcher Carlos Ramirez.
The Jays, of course, did not have a very good season in 2017, going 76-86 after making the playoffs two years in a row. But there were some highlights: Justin Smoak’s break out season, Marcus Stroman’s performance and the way relief pitchers Ryan Tepera, Danny Barnes and Dominic Leone developed.
But the biggest feel-good story was probably the breakout year Ramirez enjoyed.
The story isn’t new but hasn’t lost its lustre. The Jays signed the native of Santo Domingo, DR as an international free agent outfielder in 2009 but he never really found his stride at the plate. In 2014, the organization asked the 6-5, 205 pound righthander to try pitching. A potential star was born.
The transition was pretty consistent from the start. Ramirez had an excellent 2016 campaign but really exploded on to the scene as a pitcher last year. He started the season in Double A New Hampshire where he pitched 23.2 innings in 18 appearances without giving up an earned run, striking out 29. After being promoted to Triple A Buffalo, Ramirez allowed only six hits, three walks and not a single run in seven appearances covering a stretch of 14 innings.
The culmination of the season was a promotion to the Jays as a September call-up. He made his MLB debut against the Baltimore Orioles, pitching two perfect innings including a pair of strikeouts.
In 12 appearances with the Jays, the lanky right-hander registered a 2.70 ERA in 16.2 innings, giving up only six hits and three walks. He didn’t give up a run until his eighth appearance. Needless to say, Ramirez had solidly placed himself in a position to make the big team out of spring training.
“There were a few good stories from last year and he was one of them,” said Walker. “He didn’t seem to be talked about much but certainly deserved to be. The numbers he put up and the streak he had at Double A, Triple A and even the big-league level was unreal.
“It was unbelievable what he did and to match that again would be remarkable. And if he comes close, it would be great for us,” Walker added.
Ramirez has above average stuff, a fastball-slider guy with good movement and a natural tail to his 92-93 mph fastball. But what makes the 26-year-old truly effective is the deception in his delivery.
“He’s long, so the ball seems to get on you quicker than the velocity shows,” said Walker. “I think it’s the length and the release. His release point is a little closer than most. He gets down that slope pretty good and I think that makes a difference. He hides it well, he’s kind of all arms and legs coming at you. And the way he can spin a baseball is exceptional,” said Walker. “That ball keeps moving on his breaking ball. And when you see major-leaguers not getting good swings on somebody, you know something ’s up. From the naked eye watching from him behind, you see good action but until you see someone swing and miss like that at the major league level, you know you got something special.”
“The hitters don’t pick up the ball when he throws it, especially his slider,” said Jays manager John Gibbons. “They swing through that thing. They don’t read it. Of course (a lot of the MLB hitters) don’t know him yet either. But there’s just something different about him. A big part of pitching is deception and my impression was they had trouble picking the ball up, which is always going to help.”
For Ramirez, the key for this year is consistency and staying healthy.
“I always want to keep learning,” said Ramirez, who got married in December. “There’s new things every day you can learn and when you’ve got all those guys around you like (J.A.) Happ, (Marco) Estrada, (Marcus) Stroman, (Aaron) Sanchez, (Roberto) Osuna. They help you and you learn from them. Just seeing how they work and how they go about their (preparation).”
Walker said there’s no reason Ramirez can’t keep rolling this season and make the team out of camp, even though the pitching coach called the competition in the bullpen this winter the deepest he’s seen at training camp in years.
“Anytime you come into the big leagues with a streak that he had, you’re waiting for that bubble to burst and while I know he gave up a couple of runs (eventually), he threw great for us,” said Walker. “He’s a special player. A great kid as well, hard worker and I envision we hear his name for a while.”
The Jays are in the rare position of having two former position players who have transitioned to the mound: Ramirez and right-hander Thomas Pannone, whom they picked up from Cleveland last year. One of the best players in MLB history who made the transition to pitching was none other than former Jays’ pitching great Dave Stieb, who had a storied career from 1979-1992. Gibbons doesn’t expect Ramirez or Pannone to be another Stieb, who was a seventime all-star, but the manager is certainly excited about both.