The White Sox Need To Make Sure This Player Sticks Around
The White Sox have been playing much better baseball as of late. While their record is still very bad, they are 6-4 in their last 10 games, which is an encouraging sign. There are a few reasons for this, specifically the addition of Tommy Pham, but another name has contributed to this turn of events in a big way.
That name is Bryan Ramos, who has been fantastic since he was called up. Since his promotion, he is hitting .281 with two RBIs in 32 at-bats. This is a great start for someone who struggled to open up the year at Double A Birmingham.
When he was first called up, a lot of people were confused by the move, as he had a brutal stretch to open up the season. He had been hitting better as of late, but his stats were still down across the board. However, the #4 prospect in the White Sox system has flipped the narrative since his call-up.
As you can see from above, he has some pretty solid stats to start off his major league career, but his advanced stats are even better. According to Baseball Savant, if he were a qualified hitter, he would rank as one of the best hitters in chase rate, whiff rate, and K%. This is fantastic to see out of a young hitter, as controlling the strike zone is something that takes time to do in the major leagues.
He also would rank as above average in hard hit %, average exit velocity, and expected batting average. He is making Chris Getz look like a genius for calling him up. As a cherry on top, he has been fantastic in the field, as he made this fantastic play yesterday:
A significant responsibly of being a third baseman is the ability to play some solid defense. If Ramos keeps this up, he could be one of the best overall third basemen in the game, due to his hitting, defense, and his speed. According to Baseball Savant, his sprint speed is in the 90th percentile, making him one of the fastest players in the game. Once his power starts to show, he could be a legit five-tool third baseman, which is rare.
The main concern is that once Danny Mendick returns from the injured list, they will send down Ramos. That should not happen under any circumstance. Ramos has earned himself an extended look for the rest of the season. Sending a prospect up and down is not great for his development, so he should stick in Chicago for the time being.
He is currently projected to be the third basemen of the future, as Yoan Moncada is likely not going to be on the team next year, so let him get his reps in. He has not looked overmatched at all, so let him gain this valuable playing time when the games mean nothing.
Ramos was removed from the game yesterday due to quad tightness, but he is expected to just miss one game and be ready for the New York Yankees series.
Whatever the White Sox need to do to keep Ramos on the team for the remainder of the season, they need to do. There is no point in sending him back when he is playing so well.