Jose Ramirez Stats & Scouting Report

AB	620
AVG	.279
OBP	.335
SLG	.537
HR	39

Full name José Enrique Ramírez
Born 09/17/1992 in Bani, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: S / Throws: R
Debut 09/01/2013

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Ramirez has made a rapid ascent through the system, going from the Midwest League to the majors in the span of a year. After he finished 2012 strong with low Class A Lake County, Ramirez went on to hit .312 over the winter in the Dominican League, which spurred the Indians to skip him over high Class A. He held his own as a 20-year-old in Double-A, and Cleveland gave him a September callup in the heat of the playoff race. Ramirez's speed and on-base skills are his biggest assets. He has a smooth swing from both sides of the plate and sprays line drives to all fields. He does have some pull-side power, more so as a righthanded hitter, but home runs aren't part of his game. Ramirez excels at working counts and rarely chases. Though Ramirez has plus speed and led the Eastern League in steals (38), he wasn't particularly efficient and tended to be too aggressive. Ramirez has the athleticism and versatility to play second base, third base or shortstop, but second is the only spot where he profiles as a regular. His hands work well and he has smooth actions, but he lacks the arm for shortstop or power for third. The game never speeds up on Ramirez, and the major league staff raved about his energy. A left thumb injury in winter ball could slow him in spring training, so after getting a taste of the majors, he'll begin 2014 at Triple-A Columbus to add more polish.?
Only 5-foot-9, Ramirez is undersized but has managed to garner attention by hitting .342/.383/.459 through two minor league seasons. With his size, he doesn't have much of a strike zone, but what's there he covers well. He's difficult to strike out, showing natural hand-eye coordination along with good bat speed from both sides of the plate and the ability to hit line drives to all fields. He also has plus-plus speed. Ramirez has little power and minimal physical projection, so some scouts worry that more advanced pitchers will eat him up. He's a solid defender at second base who makes the routine plays and turns the double play well. He endears himself to managers with how hard he plays. Ramirez lacks a high ceiling, but he's a well-rounded player who may continue to surprise as he moves through the system. He's ready for high Class A at age 20.

Minor League Top Prospects

A switch-hitter, Ramirez profiles as the prototypical leadoff hitter. He has a slashing stroke that produces line drives to all fields, and the double-plus speed to take plenty of extra bases. Even though he reached the major leagues this year, he still has plenty of rough edges to sharpen. Both his 38 stolen bases and 16 times caught stealing were EL highs, suggesting he needs to work on reading pitchers and learning the appropriate time to try to swipe a bag. Ramirez doesn?t have much power in his bat, but managers and scouts like the way he makes consistent contact. He struck out once every 13 plate appearances to lead all qualified EL players, and he?s willing to go with a pitch to get on base. A confident defender at either up-the-middle spot with plus range, body control and arm strength, Ramirez may fill a utility role if he remains in Cleveland. The Indians have Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Kipnis as their double-play combination?and top prospect shortstop Francisco Lindor on the way.