New York Mets 2020 player preview: Wilson Ramos

Sep 4, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Justin Wilson (38) is congratulated by catcher Wilson Ramos (40) after recording the final out against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets have a very deep roster, believe it or not. They have at least two options in almost every position. However, in one of the most important ones, which is catcher, there is a clear-cut starter: Wilson Ramos.

The “Buffalo” as he is often called is coming from a rather disappointing 2019 season in which he hit .288/.351 /.416 with a .327 wOBA and a 105 wRC+. That’s a far cry from the .306/.358/.487 line he had in 2018 with two teams in 2018. That year, he had a .361 wOBA and a very good 132 wRC+.

Ramos knows he is capable of more. That’s why he identified his problem and worked his butt off in the offseason to solve it.

The problem was right here: among dozens and dozens of qualified hitters, Ramos led MLB in ground ball percentage with 62.4%. For each fly ball, the Venezuelan backstop hit 3.26 balls on the ground. It has been proven that line drives and fly balls are far more dangerous than grounders. You can’t hit it out of the park if you don’t send it over the infield!

The Mets’ catcher is joining the flyball revolution

Ramos worked with specialists and decided to join the “flyballl revolution.” The early results are mixed: in 2020 spring training, he has a slash line of .208/.240/.417 after Monday’s game, which means he has cooled off some after a promising start. However, he has two doubles and a homer and has put on a show in batting practice. The Mets’ catcher is said to be hitting the ball with much more authority.

Chances are that he will see the results of his approach change sooner rather than later. Spring training stats are usually not a very good foundation to analyze certain situations.

Ramos has certainly had a busy spring: he changed his approach at the plate and he is working on his framing and communication with the New York Mets’ old and new pitchers. You could argue that he has been among the busiest Mets in February and March.

The 32-year-old is playing for a contract: if he impresses, the Mets will likely pick up his club option for 2021. If not, well, he will probably hit the open market. Ramos has enough motivation to silence the critics and perform on a level we know he can.

2020 Depth Charts projections for Wilson Ramos: 107 games, 422 PA, 14 HR, .274/.330/.433, .322 wOBA, 102 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR