Jose Ramirez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked New York Yankees #26 prospect in 2015
  Making his fifth appearance in the Handbook, Ramirez remains a tease, with a dynamite fastball/ changeup combination and developing slider. Injuries, first to his oblique in 2013 and to his lat muscles in 2014, have stunted his development and pushed him to the bullpen. Ramirez's fastball still checks in at the mid- to upper 90s with good life, and his changeup still features plenty of late fade. Those injuries may also have contributed to the control problems he's experienced after he advanced past Double-A Trenton. His long arm action, the primary culprit for his inconsistent breaking ball, also stymies his control. After a nearly-lost season, Ramirez seems destined to return to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
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  Ranked New York Yankees #13 prospect in 2014
  Ramirez jumped into the Yankees' Top 30 after pitching in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2009 but has progressed slowly from there, spending three seasons in Class A. The quality of his fastball and changeup rivals anyone in the system. A rail-thin righty, he brings an explosive fastball in the mid- to upper 90s and backs it up with a tumbling changeup that often gets mistaken for a splitter. The change easily rates as a 60 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. Ramirez's slider has its moments, but due to a long arm stroke during takeaway, his command and his breaking ball remain inconsistent, and most scouts project him as a reliever. He also remains slight of build and injury prone. He missed most of April after starting the year on Double-A Trenton's disabled list with tendinitis, then had his season end in July with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre due to an oblique strain. He also showed a tendency to let mistakes snowball, and his body language worsened when a break didn't go his way or a play wasn't made behind him. Now 24, Ramirez never has thrown more than 115 innings in a season. Headed back to Triple-A, he could be one injury away from being moved to the bullpen, where his fastball/changeup combination should play well.
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  Ranked New York Yankees #16 prospect in 2013
  Ramirez was starting to emerge as one of the Yankees' better pitching prospects before stumbling in 2011 in high Class A. He did better in his second shot in 2012, shaking off a rough start to go 6-2, 2.11 with 73 strikeouts in as many innings over the final four months. He missed five weeks in May and June with a lat strain but bounced back fine. While growing by at least an inch or two and adding 25 pounds, Ramirez also has picked up fastball velocity, sitting at 93-96 and hitting 97 regularly. He's the most consistent hard-thrower in the system, and his fastball has decent life as well. Ramirez has made progress with his slider. It's inconsistent, but at times he'll throw above-average breaking balls that reach 87 mph and have tilt. Ramirez's changeup is his most reliable secondary pitch, as it has sink and at times resembles a splitter. Ramirez can be hittable because he lacks deception and fastball command, and more scouts believe he's headed to the bullpen, a role he filled in the Dominican League this winter. Added to the 40-man roster, he'll make his Double-A debut in 2013.
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  Ranked New York Yankees #24 prospect in 2011
  As a Dominican righthander with a slender body and a potential power arm, Ramirez has a lot of similiarities to Hector Noesi. Ramirez opened 2010 in Charleston's rotation and missed only one turn through the middle of August, when the Yankees decided to shut him down. He wore down in the final month, with his fastball dipping to as low as the mid-80s. When he's at his best, his heater sits at 90-92 mph and touches 95. His changeup is an average pitch that could develop into a plus offering in the future. His slider shows proper rotation but lacks depth. Ramirez keeps the ball down and excels at limiting big innings, giving up just three homers in 115 innings last year. He has bouts of wildness (his 20 wild pitches ranked second in the South Atlantic League last year) and may not ever have true command. Scouts like his loose arm and projectable body while lamenting his longer arm action and sloppy delivery, which cause him to waste energy and get offline to the plate. He throws strikes to his arm side but hasn't shown he can command his fastball on the other side of the plate, limiting his options. Ramirez needs innings and experience to improve his feel for pitching, as well as strength to hold up better over the course of a full season. Only 20, he'll advance to high Class A with a good spring training.
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  Ranked New York Yankees #20 prospect in 2010
  Ramirez emerged as one of the system's more electric arms in 2009. He led the Gulf Coast League in opponent average (.159) and fewest baserunners per nine innings (7.23), and his only defeat was a 2-1 decision in the first round of the playoffs. Working with GCL Yankees pitching coach Carlos Chantres, Ramirez made significant progress with his delivery, getting his energy moving more toward the plate. That helped his fastball velocity, which jumped to 92-95 mph on a consistent basis. He commands his heater well. He has a quick arm and room to fill out physically, though his velocity isn't likely to increase much more. Ramirez's second-best pitch is his changeup, which is average now and has plus potential. He doesn't have much of a breaking ball and focused on a curveball during the Yankees' Dominican instructional program. His curve still has a ways to go, as does Ramirez. His fastball and changeup might be enough to earn him a spot in Charleston's 2010 rotation.