JC Ramirez Stats & Scouting Report

IP	72
ERA	4
WHIP	1.49
BB/9	3.5
SO/9	5.75

Full name Juan Carlos Ramírez
Born 08/16/1988 in Managua, Nicaragua
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 06/23/2013

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Acquired along with Phillippe Aumont and Tyson Gillies in the Cliff Lee trade with the Mariners in December 2009, Ramirez has spent most of his time in the Phillies system at Reading. He has the size and strength to remain a starter, but he has yet to develop the polish or secondary stuff that will enable him to stay in that role. Ramirez largely has survived on one pitch, a heavy 92-94 mph fastball with sink that generates weak contact. He throws an 83-85 mph short slider that has tightened up, but he struggles to find a consistent arm slot with the offering. He needs to do a better job of staying on top of the slider, as he often gets on the side of the ball or tries to overthrow it. He also throws a below-average 81-84 mph changeup. Ramirez has struggled with command, though he's usually around the plate. He doesn't miss many bats and needs to throw more quality strikes. The Phillies will continue developing him as a starter in 2012, though he profiles best as a sinker-slider reliever.
Assistant general manager Benny Looper spent 22 years in the Mariners front office before joining the Phillies in 2009, and the club relied on his insights when it traded Cliff Lee to Seattle that December. Of the three prospects Philadelphia received, Ramirez flew the most under the radar. He pitched his way to Double-A last year, topping 140 innings for the second straight season. Ramirez has the chance to have two plus pitches in his fastball and slider. His heater sits at 92-94 mph with sink, and he touches 98 at times. He has worked to locate his fastball better, but in general he has spotty command. While his slider does have upside, it still gets sweepy and slurvy at times. His changeup is very much a work in progress. Big, strong and durable, Ramirez pitched through a hip injury in 2010 that required offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum. He'll open 2010 in Reading, trying to improve his secondary offerings and add polish. He projects as a possible No. 3 starter, though he might fit better as a power reliever.
Ramirez concluded his English training following the 2008 season and took a step toward making his name sound more Americanized by shortening it from Juan (or Juan Carlos) to J.C. One thing remained unchanged: He's a physical, durable pitcher who increased his workload again in 2009. The Mariners added him to the 40- man roster, though Ramirez remains raw and unrefined. His stuff is top-shelf, beginning with a lively 92-94 mph fastball that he can dial up to 96-97 when necessary. Even with present spotty command, his heater reminds Jaime Navarro, his pitching coach for two years running, of Kevin Brown's: "Just hard and down." Ramirez puts good spin on his high-70s slider, but the pitch lacks consistent tilt because he often drops his hands during delivery, which lowers his arm slot. He tends to slow his motion when not throwing a fastball, hindering his feel for his below-average changeup as well as his slider. He shows a tendency toward overthrowing, where he'll fly open and not incorporate his lower half. He also needs to do a better job of concentrating on the mound. Ramirez has mid-rotation potential and more than enough raw stuff to pitch in a big league bullpen if he can't remain a starter. His results away from High Desert were fine last year--3.09 ERA with two homers allowed in 11 starts--meaning he could graduate to Double-A in 2010.
The Mariners have as strong a presence in Nicaragua as any club. They have the nation's top minor league prospect in Ramirez, and signed its top 2008 prospect, righthander Francisco Valdivia, for $726,000 in July. Ramirez handled low Class A well for a teenager last season, showing dominating stuff and improved command. Tall, loose-armed and still projectable, Ramirez fires off easy 92-93 mph heat and can push his four-seam fastball to 97 on occasion. One scout lauded Ramirez for having a heavy ball, and all his pitches feature plus movement as the ball jumps out of his hand from a high three-quarters arm slot. Though he limited Midwest League batters to a .239 average largely on the strength of his fastball, he also throws a hard slider that has plus potential. Like most young flamethrowers, Ramirez lacks feel for his changeup because he's accustomed to blowing the ball past batters. He struggles to stay on top of his secondary pitches on a consistent basis. He needs to do a better job of pacing himself and holding his stuff deep into starts. He also needs to work on controlling the running game. His build and delivery are reminiscent of former Mariner Rafael Soriano. Ramirez has the raw stuff to project as a front-end starter, but he also could follow Soriano into a role as relief ace.
With just 65 innings in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League under his belt, Ramirez made his U.S. debut in the short-season Northwest League at age 18. He had his share of rough outings and struggled with his command, but he also had one of the league's best arms. Ramirez finished second in the NWL in opponent average (.211) and fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (8.7). Ramirez has a prototypical pitcher's body and compares favorably with former Mariners prospect Rafael Soriano for his build and his delivery. He has a loose, easy arm and the ball jumps out of his hand from a three-quarters arm slot. His plus four-seam fastball ranges from 91-95 mph and sits at 93 with life and occasional armside run. Batters simply don't look comfortable facing him, nor do they get good swings on his fastball. Ramirez will rush his delivery and miss up in the zone, which leads to walks. His breaking ball is a work in progress, but he'll flash tight spin on a 75-mph curveball. He has some feel for a changeup but it also needs refinement. At present, he has below-average command of all three of his pitches. Ramirez likely will team with 2007 first-round pick Phillippe Aumont in the low Class A rotation this year. With improved command, he would have front-of-the-rotation stuff. If not, he'd profile as power reliever.

Minor League Top Prospects

Ramirez and teammate Michael Pineda had much in common. Both are products of the Mariners' productive Latin American program, pitched at age 19 this season and have big-time projection remaining. Though Pineda finished second in the league in ERA (1.95) and capped his year with a 14-strikeout one-hitter, scouts preferred Ramirez because they think he has a better chance to remain a starter. He doesn't use much effort to throw a lively fastball that sits at 92-93 mph, and one scout projected that Ramirez might work at 96-98 if he became a full-time reliever. His slider and changeup have promise, though he doesn't stay on top of his secondary pitches on a consistent basis.
The Mariners ambitiously sent Ramirez to Everett with just a half-season in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League to show for experience. He had his share of rough outings and struggled with his command, but his upside is undeniable. He has a prototypical pitcher's body and compares favorably to former Mariners prospect Rafael Soriano for his looks and his delivery. Ramirez, a native of Nicaragua who turned 19 August 16, has a loose, easy arm and the ball jumps out of his hand from a three-quarters arm slot. His fastball sat near 93 mph, touching 95 with rising life and occasional arm-side run. Ramirez will rush his delivery and miss up in the strike zone. His breaking ball is a work in progress, but he'll flash tight spin on a 75 mph curve with three-quarter tilt, and also shows a fair changeup. "He was the best arm I saw, bar none hands down," another AL scout said, "and I could even include some of the major league guys I saw this year."