Wilson Ramos Stats & Scouting Report

AB	86
AVG	.174
OBP	.217
SLG	.279
HR	2

Full name Wilson Abraham Ramos
Born 08/10/1987 in Valencia, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 241 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School U.E. Santa Ines
Debut 05/02/2010

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Ramos had ranked as one of the Twins' best prospects since 2007, but he also found himself blocked by Joe Mauer. In need of a closer, Minnesota traded him and lefthander Joe Testa to the Nationals for all-star Matt Capps last July. Ramos spent September in Washington, then put together a solid winter in the Venezuela League. Strong and physical, Ramos stands out for his defensive skills behind the plate and his power potential. He's a good receiver with soft hands, and his plus arm helped him throw out an International League-best 50 percent of basestealers in 2010. He's still learning to call games and manage pitchers, but he has plenty of aptitude. Ramos has good loft and leverage in his swing, giving him a chance to hit for solid-average or slightly better power in time. He does get pull-happy, and he must improve his contact rate and patience at the plate. Conditioning has been an issue for Ramos in the past, and he's a well below-average runner. Ramos might never be an average hitter, but his defense and power potential still could make him a valuable everyday catcher. He should battle for time behind the plate in Washington this year.
When he wasn't hurt in 2009, Ramos was Double-A New Britain's best player, but he missed a month with a broken tip of his left middle finger and nearly two months with a hamstring injury. He hit .341 (including the playoffs) after he returned, then made up for lost time with another strong showing in winter ball. After helping Venezuela to the Caribbean Series championship in 2009, he was leading the Venezuelan League in RBIs and slugging in mid-December. Ramos fits the catcher profile almost perfectly. He is physical and strong, with plus raw power and the ability to get the barrel to the ball. He's aggressive but covers the plate well, has natural hitting actions and shows power to all fields. He's agile for his size, receives well and has a cannon for an arm, throwing out 42 percent of basestealers last year. His hamstring injury and physical maturity have left Ramos a below-average runner, and he's on his way to being a baseclogger if he's not careful. He gained weight during his layoff but was getting back in shape in winter ball, where he also improved his pedestrian walk rate. He's a slow starter who doesn't always play with energy, though that improved in 2009. Ramos is insurance in case the Twins can't re-sign Joe Mauer. If Mauer locks up a long-term deal, though, Ramos becomes a valuable trade chip as a catcher who's almost big league-ready and has significant upside. He's likely headed for Triple-A Rochester in 2010.
Ramos has acquired a reputation for being a slow starter. He didn't earn a spot on a full-season team to open 2007 and he batted .203 in April last season. He rallied to hit safely in his last 15 games and lead Fort Myers in homers (13) and RBIs (78) while earning Florida State League all-star honors. Ramos has learned to translate his raw power into games and projects to hit 20-25 homers annually down the line. With excellent size and strength in his compact, athletic frame, he's built to catch. He has a very strong arm and led the FSL by throwing out 43 percent of basestealers. He has improved to be an average receiver and blocker behind the plate. A free swinger, Ramos would hit for even more power if he became more selective. He's a slow runner who's prone to hitting into double plays. His poor starts have included playing with a lack of energy, which the Twins hope improves as he matures. He's getting better at learning English, which will help him lead pitching staffs more effectively. Added to the 40-man roster this fall, Ramos should jump to Double-A in 2009. With 25-year-old Joe Mauer ahead of him, however, he seems destined to be a backup or trade bait rather than a regular for Minnesota.
Ramos' season almost went unnoticed, but not by the Twins and not by scouts of rival clubs, who called him the best position prospect on low Class A Beloit's roster. He didn't get there until June after beginning the year in extended spring training, then had his season ended in late August when he hurt his right thumb on an errant slide. Ramos blends catch-and-throw talent and offensive upside in a manner rare among current minor leaguers. He has excellent strength, helping produce above-average bat speed and power to all fields. A solid-average runner for now, Ramos rounds out his tools with an accurate, above-average arm and the hands to be a sound receiver. He threw out 41 percent of basestealers in 2007. He has yet to play a full season, and Ramos needs experience to refine his tools into skills. His swing plane lends itself more to line drives rather than home runs, and he won't maximize his power if he's not more selective at the plate. As he gets older, he'll be a below-average runner. One Twins official described Ramos as nearly a five-tool catcher, while another termed him untouchable. He's young enough to return to low Class A while still being ready to jump on the fast track.

Minor League Top Prospects

Blocked by Joe Mauer in Minnesota, Ramos got a reprieve when the Twins sent him to the Nationals at the trade deadline in a deal for Matt Capps. He lived up to his advance notices defensively, leading the IL by throwing out 50 percent of basestealers. He has a plus arm, receives well and has a strong, durable body. Ramos had the worst offensive season since coming to the United States in 2006. He has above-average raw power, but he's not selective and tries to pull everything with an uppercut stroke. He has well below-average speed. "The ball comes off his bat like a big leaguer," Rochester manager Tom Nieto said. "The last piece to be put in place for him to become a big league catcher is game management. He needs to learn calling a game and managing a pitching staff. Once he does that, he'll be ready to be a big league catcher."
Ramos missed half the season with two ailments. He missed a month early after breaking the middle finger on the tip of his middle finger on his left hand back in May, then missed nearly two months with a hamstring pull later in the season. A notorious slow starter earlier in his career, Ramos continued that trend in 2009, as he was just heating up in June when the hamstring pull sidelined him. He picked up where he left off and helped lead New Britain to the playoffs. The leg injury likely will make him a liability on the basepaths, but Ramos' other tools grade out average or better. His sound, strong swing provides ample plate coverage, with plate discipline being his biggest weakness. He has plus raw power, receives well and has the arm strength to have thrown out 41 percent of opposing basestealers. His energy level and intensity also seemed to pick up as the season went on, bringing his tools into game situations more consistently. "His hitting actions are very good," said Decker, a former big league catcher, "and he can defend. He's got the ability to be a frontline catcher."
Arencibia was the highest-profile catcher in the league, but the Twins' under-the-radar signee from Venezuela proved nearly as impressive. While many other players were melting in the Florida sun, Ramos hit .328/.385/.468 after the all-star break. He's a gap-to-gap hitter with a line-drive swing, but if he gets ahead in the count he knows how to gear up to drive a fat pitch. Ramos has a strong arm and easily led the league by throwing out 43 percent of basestealers. He also has soft hands and calls a good game. He runs adequately for a catcher but is prone to grounding into double plays (he ranked second in the league with 23).