Follow the Prospects: Aldo Ramirez, RHP

[Section214]

Full Name: Aldo Ramirez
Age: 20 (May, 6 2001)
Birthplace: Aguascalientes, Mexico
Bats/Throws: R/R Ht: 6' 0" Wt: 191
Signed: April 18, 2018 (Boston) - Acquired for OF Kyle Schwarber in July, 2021

At age 20, Ramirez comes in as the Nationals #11 prospect, #7 RHP.

Career Minor League numbers - 26 GS 122.0 IP 2.88 ERA 1.11 WHIP 115/33 K/BB
2021 at Salem (A) - 8 GS 31 IP 2.03 ERA 1.13 WHIP 32/8 K/BB

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/aldo-ramirez-680048?stats=career-r-pitching-milb

Scouting report on Mlb.com

Scouting Grades/Report (20-80 grading scale)

FASTBALL 50 CURVEBALL 50 CHANGEUP 55 CONTROL 55 OVERALL 45

Ramirez broke into pro ball in the Mexican League as a 17-year-old before the Red Sox purchased him from Aguascalientes for $550,000 in April 2018. He allowed just one run in 23 innings in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League that summer, then ranked sixth in strikeout rate (9.2 per innings) in the New York-Penn League in 2019, when he was the short-season circuit's youngest qualifier at age 18. He used his pandemic downtime to get stronger last year and opened eyes with improved stuff in instructional league. That carried into 2021, when he had a 2.03 ERA with 32 strikeouts and only eight walks in 31 innings at Low-A Salem before hitting the IL in late June with right elbow tendinitis. The injury wasn’t enough to scare off the Nationals, however, as Washington picked him up at the Trade Deadline in a swap for Kyle Schwarber.

Ramirez works the top and bottom of the strike zone with four-seam and two-seam fastballs, and his velocity jumped from 91-94 in 2019 to averaging 93.5 mph and topping out at 96 more frequently in shorter stints at instructs. He has advanced feel for a mid-80s changeup that fades and sinks. When he stays on top of his upper-70s curveball, it features nice depth and gives him a solid third offering.

The most advanced young pitcher in the Boston system at the time of the trade, Ramirez repeats his clean delivery easily and pounds the strike zone. He has the confidence to throw any pitch in any count, and it's growing as his stuff continues to improve. He has a high floor and the possibility of winding up with a solid fastball and curve to go with a plus changeup.

[imref]

thanks for creating this!

I'm still going to call him Aldo Raine.

[Section214]

I am particularly excited for this guy to join the farm. I am ever the optimist on this board, but Gray - Cavalli - Rutledge - Lara - Ramirez - Cate - Henry is a really nice group of young arms to build from. Oh and of course Denaburg... Mustn't forget Denaburg.

[Smithian]

I am particularly excited for this guy to join the farm. I am ever the optimist on this board, but Gray - Cavalli - Rutledge - Lara - Ramirez - Cate - Henry is a really nice group of young arms to build from. Oh and of course Denaburg... Mustn't forget Denaburg.

Due to TINSTAAP, I'm a believer in quantity over quality.

The next few months and the (shortened) 2022 season will be about cycling through arms and seeing who can cut it in the majors.

[Slateman]

Activated off the IL and put in the Flordia Coast League (rookie ball)

[zimm_da_kid]

Activated off the IL and put in the Flordia Coast League (rookie ball)

Great!  Im excited for this guy.  He seems like someone who could use a trip to the fall league to make up the innings he lost this season.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Great!  Im excited for this guy.  He seems like someone who could use a trip to the fall league to make up the innings he lost this season.

The impression I had been getting I think from SoSH or Boston.com was he was a terrific prospect but likely to have his arm fall off. He's a huge get for us if his arm issues are just passing.

[zimm_da_kid]

Pitched a scoreless inning in relief today for FCL. 1 K with no baserunners

[Smithian]

The impression I had been getting I think from SoSH or Boston.com was he was a terrific prospect but likely to have his arm fall off. He's a huge get for us if his arm issues are just passing.

I'm fine with mixing in some high ceiling, low floor prospects.

[welch]

Here is a Red Sox prospects view of Ramirez:

In return for Schwarber, the Red Sox gave up one of their top pitching prospects, right-hander Aldo Ramirez. Ramirez is currently eighth in the SoxProspects Rankings, holding steady for the season, even though he is currently on the disabled list with right-elbow tendonitis. For the year, the 20-year-old Ramirez has a 2.03 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 31 innings with Low-A Salem. He has 32 strikeouts and only 8 walks and opponents are hitting .221/.269/.311 against him. Ramirez signed out of Mexico in April 2018 and made his debut in the DSL that summer. He participated in the Fall Instructional League after the 2018 season and moved up to Lowell in 2019, where he really impressed striking out 63 and walking only 19 in 61.2 innings. After the 2020 season was canceled, Ramirez again participated in the Fall Instructional League. He showed increased velocity, really impressing opposing scouts who identified him as the top pitching prospect there. Here is Ramirez's full scouting report.

Physical Description: Athletic, lean frame with some remaining projection, especially in his upper body. Quick feet.

Mechanics: Throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot. Starts on the third base side. Quick arm. Deliberate, vertical delivery. High leg lift. Could do a better job incorporating his lower half. Finishes upright and square to the plate. Arm action has a stab behind, but is relatively free and easy. Good rhythm in delivery, works quickly. Repeats well. Varies delivery times from the stretch. Has deception in his delivery, hides the ball well behind his head until late, giving hitters less time to pick it up.

Fastball: 92-95 mph. Pitch shows life and sink. Velocity is trending up and has improved each year since he signed. Advanced command and control for his age. Always around the zone; throws competitive pitches, which allows him to work deeper into games. Potential plus offering with refined command.

Changeup: 86-88 mph. Best secondary pitch. Splitter-ish movement with late drop down and out of the zone. Advanced feel. Flashed plus at times during the 2018 season, but rarely incorporated the pitch in 2019 looks with Lowell. During 2020 Fall Instructs, pitch was very effective and elicited lots of weak contact on the ground. Potential plus-to-better offering.

Curveball: 77-81 mph. Shows confidence in and feel for pitch. Will throw in any count. At its best, shows 11-to-5, two-plane break. Can bury down and out of the zone or backdoor the pitch to steal a called strike. Shape and depth vary at times. Below-average spin rate. Potential average offering.

Career Notes: Red Sox purchased his rights from Aguascalientes in the Mexican League for $550,000 in April 2018. Showed advanced control for his age in the DSL in 2018. Participated in the 2018 and 2020 Fall Instructional League. Was identified by scouts as one of the top pitchers at the 2020 Fall Instructional League.

Summation: Potential back-end starter. Ceiling of a mid-rotation starter. Very interesting young arm with a strong track record of performance in the low minors against age-advanced competition. Has advanced feel for his age and has a solid chance to remain a starter. Has always thrown strikes and shows the early makings of a three-pitch mix, all with at least average potential. Does not stand out physically, but still young enough that he could grow some more. One of the more intriguing low minors arms in the system, but has a long way to go between what he is now and what he could be in the future.

[zimm_da_kid]

He strikes me as a guy who if he stays healthy will be a major league arm.  Even with injuries could still be a bullpen arm

[welch]

He strikes me as a guy who if he stays healthy will be a major league arm.  Even with injuries could still be a bullpen arm

Yes, but he is a Low A pitcher with elbow tendonitis. He is a long, long way, and a lot more can happen. A lot of those happenings would be bad ones.

[imref]

Via Sam Dykstra: “Aldo Ramirez has experienced elbow soreness, and the #Nats are taking it slow with him.”

He’s at extended ST.

[welch]

Aldo Ramirez is out for the season. I had forgotten his name, remembered him only as "they guy we got for Kyle S. who showed up with a sore arm". It was tendonitis. 

Ramirez (elbow) was placed on the full-season injured list June 5 for the Nationals' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate and isn't expected to pitch again until 2023.

Ramirez was sidelined with right elbow tendinitis for much of the second half of the 2021 campaign and experienced recurring soreness in the elbow during spring training, prompting the Nationals to delay assigning him to an affiliate. He was expected to begin pitching in early June when the FCL season got underway, but Ramirez's elbow injury was apparently more serious than anticipated. It's unclear if Ramirez required surgery to address the injury, but his lack of game action in 2022 is a negative development for his outlook in any case.

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/nationals-aldo-ramirez-wont-pitch-in-2022/

Now I will forget him again.

[Smithian]

Aldo Ramirez is out for the season. I had forgotten his name, remembered him only as "they guy we got for Kyle S. who showed up with a sore arm". It was tendonitis. 

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/nationals-aldo-ramirez-wont-pitch-in-2022/

Now I will forget him again.

Rizzo did good work last deadline.

The Schwarber trade is not an example of that good work.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Rizzo did good work last deadline.

The Schwarber trade is not an example of that good work.

I would think they saw some medical information and were satisfied about the risk / reward.  Sometimes that doesn't work out, but that doesn't mean the risk of more serious medical issues wasn't worth the upside of the potential arm.  Maybe they are too cocky about the medical evaluations after hits on Strasburg and Giolito. They aren't shy about arm problems. 

[Slateman]

Rizzo did good work last deadline.

The Schwarber trade is not an example of that good work.

I dont know if we can say that.

For one, people seem to forget Schwarber had a pulled hammy. Recovering from those is difficult. Schawrber left the field a Nat on July 2nd. He didn't play in a Red Sox game until August 13th (two weeks after the trade deadline). And that was a pretty quick recovery for a hamstring injury.

Ramirez was a decent prospect for less than two months of Schwarber and the gamble that was his hammy. He's 21 so its not like his career is over.

[Natsinpwc]

Yes the return for Schwarber was low due to the uncertainty of his injury.

[welch]

I read this week that Ramirez has had TJS. That settles the mysterious elbow injury that has shelved him. At least we know roughly how long it will take for Ramirez to recover.

(I'll look for where I saw that).