The strong “buffalo” that is Wilson Ramos has started Spring Training hot for the New York Mets. In Monday’s win against the Washington Nationals, he went 2-for-2 with a home run and a double. Over the first three games of Spring Training, all of Ramos’ hits have gone for extra bases.
The Buffalo launches his first home run of the spring.
Wilson Ramos’ 2nd inning home run came against Nationals RHP Wil Crowe. pic.twitter.com/t6ZVFMaWcG
— Ryan Kolakowski (@RyanKolakowski) February 24, 2020
The power is a welcomed sign for Ramos. Despite having a solid offensive season in 2019, he had his lowest slugging percentage since 2015 and the lowest average launch angle for his career. Ramos is one of the slowest baserunners in baseball, which means a ground ball for Ramos is likely an out. It makes his 2019 look even better that he still hit .288 despite the lack of power.
New Approach
Ramos retooled his swing during the offseason to create one that is quicker to the ball and produces more line drives. He should keep the ball in the air due to his lack of speed. The combination of his strength and the juiced baseballs should allow Ramos to double the 14 home runs he had last year.
Wilson Ramos said he worked on not "cutting" his swing over the offseason. Instead, he's tried to stay through the ball to hit more balls in the air. It took him about a month to get comfortable with the adjustment. He's happy it's paying off early in spring.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) February 24, 2020
Of course, the defense is the bigger concern for Ramos. He is confident in his defense so far in Spring and feels more confident behind the dish. His defense and pitch framing is what kept him off a majority of the top 10 catcher lists. Just an average defensive year would be a significant improvement and give the Mets exactly what they need from their catching position.