Erasmo Ramirez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #13 prospect in 2012
  Ramirez has shot through the system since signing out of Nicaragua in September 2007. He skipped a level to begin 2011 in Double-A at age 20, and he finished the season in Triple-A. It's easier for pitchers to advance when they have above-average control, and he rarely gives a hitter a free pass. While he fills the strike zone, he needs to sharpen his command. He sometimes catches too much of the plate and needs to learn when it's smarter to get hitters to chase. Using an effortless delivery, Ramirez throws a 90-94 fastball. It lacks plane because he's short and he loads up on his backside in his delivery. When he misses up, his fastball gets hammered because it's flat. Ramirez has good feel for his secondary pitches, a slurvy 10-4 breaking ball and a solid changeup, but both need further refinement. Though he's short, he's built like a tank and has proven durable while throwing 304 innings over the last two seasons. He's extremely competitive and can reach back for a little extra when he needs a strikeout late in the game. With his happy-go-lucky nature and obvious love for the game, Ramirez could be a fan favorite in Seattle. He'll likely start 2012 back in Tacoma and projects as a back-of-the rotation workhorse.
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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #28 prospect in 2011
  Ramirez won the pitching triple crown in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League in 2009, going 11-1, 0.51 with 80 strikeouts in 88 innings. That performance earned him Seattle's minor league pitcher of the year award and a jump to low Class A when he made his U.S. debut last season. He ranked second in the Midwest League in K-BB ratio (5.6) and fifth in ERA (2.97). Ramirez commands the strike zone with his 89-92 mph fastball and can dial it up to 94. He has incredible feel for a changeup that is already a major league average pitch and should continue to improve. His slider has the makings of becoming an average pitch, though it's a little short right now. Ramirez has a stocky, maxed-out frame with a thick lower half, so he's unlikely to add more velocity. But if his secondary stuff improves as projected, he could become a back-of-the-rotation option. On the fast track, he'll move to high Class A before his 21st birthday.