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Yankees’ catching prospect is bidding for top-100 prospect status
The New York Yankees have a strong farm system, and their ability to maximize prospect value has improved dramatically over the years. Back in 2019, they had a barren prospect pool that hurt their ability to make much-needed improvements at the deadline, resulting in the Houston Astros taking them down in six games that year. If the Yankees want to build a sustainable winner, having cost-controlled talent that you find internally is important, and they might have found another impact player in the form of Agustin Ramirez.
With eight home runs in his first 17 games, we’re seeing some serious skill progressions from the power-hitting catcher, as Ramirez might be on his way to becoming a universal top-100 prospect in baseball.
Agustin Ramirez is Rocketing Up the Yankees’ Organization
It’s hard to come by a hitter who can combine a strong feel for contact with excellent raw power, but Agustin Ramirez has done exactly that. Last season we saw him reach exit velocities north of 113 MPH, and right now he’s on an absolute tear in the power department. Something that’s improved from last year is the ability to get the baseball in the air, and it’s resulted in his home run production skyrocketing with eight blasts in just 17 games. For context, last year he hit 18 home runs in 114 games, a year in which we saw him go from Single-A to Double-A.
He struggled with the Somerset Patriots in his first stint with them as across 31 games he slashed .211/.273/.313 with a 45.4% groundball rate. Over the offseason, getting the ball in the air would be a big priority for Agustin Ramirez, who has the raw power to be an elite power hitter but struggled to get the elevation needed to drive the ball out of the park. It’s hard to lift the ball more without opening yourself up to more strikeouts, and yet Ramirez’s strikeout rate in 2024 (17.7%) is just marginally worse than what it was in 2023 (17.3%).
