Drafted in the 4th round (142nd overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2011 (signed for $625,000).
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Ramirez was lightly recruited and undrafted out of Alhambra (Calif.) High in 2008, but he developed into a top-two-rounds candidate during three stellar seasons at Cal State Fullerton. Ramirez is 29-5 in his Fullerton career, and his 1.76 ERA this spring is the best of his career. He was slowed by elbow tenderness earlier this spring, and he missed two weeks with a sprained ankle later in the season, but he returned strong. Lean and wiry at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Ramirez has gotten stronger since high school, increasing his fastball velocity from the 86-88 mph range to the 88-91 range now, peaking at 92-93 early in games. He generally commands his fastball well, but his bread-and-butter is his offspeed stuff. Ramirez credits former Fullerton great Ricky Romero with teaching him his changeup grip, and he throws his 83-84 mph change with the same arm speed as his fastball, and it has splitter-like action and deception, rating as a plus to plus-plus pitch. His slider still gets sweepy at times, but it has improved as is now an average offering. Ramirez is a fearless competitor with outstanding feel for pitching and one of the best track records in the draft. He has the stuff and makeup to become a mid- to late-rotation starter in the big leagues.
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Ramirez emerged as one of the top college performers in the country at Cal State Fullerton on the strength of his willingness to attack the strike zone fearlessly with a low-90s fastball and a standout changeup that he learned from former Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero. Some Red Sox officials thought Ramirez, a 2011 fourth-round pick, might fast-track, but he instead had a more deliberate minor league progression even as he delivered three consistent years of success once moved to the bullpen at high Class A Salem in 2013. While Ramirez often got lost in the shuffle, he impressed team officials during a September callup. He was often matched up against elite righthanded batters, against whom his low three-quarters delivery, slider, and changeup resulted in a noteworthy number of swings and misses. He'll be in competition for a bullpen spot coming out of spring training in 2016, with the possibility of an early-season callup if he doesn't break camp with the team.
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Rated Best Changeup in the Boston Red Sox in 2012
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