Just a week ago, the Yankees created a lot of buzz around catcher Agustin Ramirez when Double-A hitting coach Kevin Martir used the word “generational” regarding his offensive skillset. It’s a strong word to use when describing a prospect, and yet it’s not one that overly exaggerates the talent he possesses with the bat. Ramirez has been one of the best hitters in all of Minor League Baseball this season, and after a three-home-run performance last night, he’s putting his generational skills on display in the Eastern League.
With ridiculous raw power that he couples with a strong ability to make contact and work walks, Agustin Ramirez looks like one of the best prospects in the Yankees’ organization.
Agustin Ramirez Could Be In Yankees’ Future Plans at Catcher
Last season was a roaring success for Agustin Ramirez, who made a three-level jump from Low-A with the Tampa Tarpons to Double-A with the Somerset Patriots. He only slowed down once he arrived at Double-A, but it was a great year for him as he set a career-high in home runs (18) and would even earn a spot on the Yankees’ 40-man roster as they wanted to protect him from the Rule-5 Draft.
Through just 49 games this season, he has 15 home runs, and he’s on pace for 45 home runs over 150 games. Ramirez’s power tool is one of the best in the entire organization, having a 94 MPH average exit velocity and topping out at 115 MPH. When you compare that to some of the strongest hitters in baseball, you start to view his power tool as one of the best in the sport.
Agustin Ramirez’s power alone would be enough to make any prospect evaluator keep an eye on his progression through the Minor Leagues, but unlike most power hitters, he runs a pretty low strikeout rate. He’s only striking out at a 17.3% clip, not suffering from the same flaws that most players do when they put up big-time home run numbers. With the Eastern League lead in round-trippers (15), he’s looking primed for a promotion to Triple-A with the Scranton RailRiders.
When we’re delving into tools and skills, Agustin Ramirez grades out well in areas that can determine the floor and ceiling for a player. The ability to obliterate the baseball creates a profile that bodes well for stardom, as the very best players in this game usually hit the ball pretty hard, but he also possesses the contact to avoid the bouts of futility and inconsistency that plague most power hitters.
The only MiLB hitter who has an Isolated Power above .300 and a strikeout rate lower than him (min. 150 PAs) is Carlos Perez, who is a 33-year-old catcher in the Oakland Athletics organization. Kevin Martir describing Agustin Ramirez as “generational” at the plate wasn’t a line to give reporters or media folk something to talk about, it was a conclusion based on a combination of skills you rarely see for any hitter.
It’s still a work in progress for Ramirez behind the plate, but he does have extensive time at first base and the Yankees have become a factor for developing defensive catchers. Austin Wells was considered a brick behind the dish but has graded out as one of the better framers in the game right now.
You know what you’re getting at the plate; a hitter with power behind the plate that we haven’t seen since Gary Sanchez came up all those years ago, but he has all the surrounding skills needed to excel as well. One of the most exciting prospects in the Yankees’ organization, expect to hear his name more and more as the months go on.