Ramon Ramirez Gives Royals Another Young, Intriguing Catching Prospect
MARYVALE, Ariz.—If you’re a Royals fan, there’s a good chance you’re keenly aware of Blake Mitchell, the high school catcher who Kansas City tabbed with its first-round pick in the most recent draft.
Mitchell is in the mix for the top prospect in the Royals’ system, but there’s another high-upside backstop prospect to keep on the radar. His name is Ramon Ramirez, and he absolutely blistered the competition in the Dominican Summer League in 2023.
Over the course of 41 games, the 18-year-old Venezuelan hit .344/.440/.615 with eight home runs, 27 RBIs and more walks (21) than strikeouts (18). He also posted a 90th percentile exit velocity of roughly 102 mph, well above-average for the level.
“When you’re talking about Ramon, obviously what he did this summer in the DSL as an 18-year-old, it’s pretty impressive,” Royals farm director Mitch Maier said. “He hit for average, the bat-to-ball skills are really good, and the hard-hit for a young player playing a premium position behind the plate, and he can throw.”
Ramirez’s offensive potential was on full display in the Royals’ final instructional league game of the fall, played in Maryvale against the Brewers. In his first at-bat, he crushed a no-doubt home run to left-center field that produced an exit velocity of 103 mph. In his next trip, he hit a deep fly to dead center. A few innings later, he scaled a ball just to the right of second base.
Three at-bats, three balls scorched to different sectors of the field with a swing that showed excellent adjustability and barrel accuracy, especially for a player just finishing his first season as a pro.
“Once the DSL season ended, he transitioned over to instructional league and has been here since the end of August and he’s really acclimated well,” Maier said. “He puts quality at-bats together every day. You see the work, you see the arm potential, you see the defense potential. So, I’m really happy for a young player (like him) in his first season playing to accomplish and perform the way he’s done. There’s a ton of potential there to continue to mold and grow.”
