Erasmo Ramirez (ramirer02)

Erasmo Jose Ramirez Olivera

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 217 lb.

• Debut April 9, 2012

• Born May 2, 1990 in Rivas, Rivas, Nicaragua

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Biographical Information

Erasmo Ramirez made it to the majors at age 21.

Ramirez signed with the Seattle Mariners in September 2007; the scouts were Ubaldo Heredia and Bob Engel. He made his pro debut with the 2008 VSL Mariners, going 4-1 with a 2.86 ERA and walking only 9 in 63 innings. Back with the same club the next summer, he dominated the Venezuelan Summer League, going 11-1 with a 0.51 ERA. He fanned 80 and walked 5 in 88 innings while allowing a .174 average. He was named the VSL Most Valuable Pitcher and the Mariners Minor League Pitcher of the Year (an impressive feat for someone in a rookie league). He led the VSL in wins, ERA, strikeouts and innings for a pitching Triple Crown.

In 2010, he made it stateside with the Clinton Lumber Kings and went 10-4 with a save and a 2.97 ERA, walking only 21 in 151 2/3 IP. He was among the Midwest League leaders in wins (5th), innings (3rd) and ERA (5th). He made the MWL All-Star team as the right-handed starting pitcher. Baseball America rated him as having the best control in the MWL though they did not rank him as one of the league's top 20 prospects.

The Rivas native split 2011 between the Jackson Generals (7-6, 4.73) and Tacoma Rainiers (3-2, 5.10), continuing to show fine control (34 walks in 153 2/3 IP) but proving more hittable than in the past (.290 opponent average). He still led the Seattle farm chain in victories. He was 2-1 with a 1.48 ERA for the Cardenales de Lara in the Venezuelan League that winter, only walking one batter in 30 1/3 innings. He was named the Nicaragua Athlete of the Year for 2011 by the Instituto Nacional de Deportes.

After a strong spring training, Ramirez made the 2012 Mariners' Opening Day roster. He was the second major leaguer named Erasmo - after another Erasmo Ramirez oddly enough. He was also the 12th Nicaraguan major leaguer and the 9th Nicaraguan major league pitcher. In his big league debut, he relieved Hector Noesi with a 7-5 deficit in the 4th inning of a slugfest with the Rangers. He retired Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus but then served up a home run to Josh Hamilton. He allowed no further runs in 2 1/3 innings, fanning 3, before Steve Delabar relieved Ramirez. He pitched 16 times for the Mariners that year, including 8 starts, going 1-3, 3.36. He allowed only 47 hits in 59 innings. In 2013, he was used almost exclusively as a starter - 13 times in 14 appearances - and went 5-3, 4.98. His workload increased to 72 1/3 innings, but his hit rate increased significantly, with 79 allowed. His ERA increased again in 2014, this time to 5.26 in 17 games (14 starts), as he allowed 82 hits in 75 1/3 innings. His record fell to 1-6. He also made appearances in the minor leagues all three season.

Erasmo had a poor spring training in 2015 and was unable to make the opening day roster on an improving team, with his ERA at 6.23 in 5 spring outings. Out of minor league options, the Mariners risked losing him if they sent him outright to AAA, and decided instead to trade him to the Tampa Bay Rays on March 31st, receiving minor league lefty Mike Montgomery in return. He was hit very hard in his first couple of appearances for Tampa Bay, however. On April 10th, he gave up 7 earned tuns in 2 innings in a relief appearance against the Miami Marlins, then on the 15th, the Blue Jays roughed him for another 7 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings as he suffered his first loss in his first start of the year. His ERA stood at 23.63 after those two games. After a stint in the bullpen where the Rays staff helped him straighten out his mechanics, he began to turn things around on May 14th, when he pitched 5 scoreless innings in defeating the New York Yankees, 6-1, for his first win of the year. Thus began a stretch of 6 wins in 7 starts during which he lowered his ERA from 8.38 to 4.45 on June 15th. On September 14th against the Yankees, he pitched seven no-hit innings before Carlos Beltran led off the 8th with a single; the game was still scoreless at the time, and the Rays went ahead, 1-0 in the bottom of the 8th, but Brad Boxberger could not close out the win, giving up four runs in the top of the 9th.

On May 29, 2017, he became the first pitcher to start a game the day after recording a save since 1984. He had pitched the 15th inning of a marathon win over the Minnesota Twins the previous day, needing only 12 pitches, before making his scheduled start against the Texas Rangers but only lasted 2 1/3 innings. Steve Farr of the Cleveland Indians had been the last pitcher to perform this feat. On July 28th, he was traded back to the Seattle Mariners in return for reliever Steve Cishek.

Sources

• 2012 Mariners Media Guide
• Purapelota

Related Sites

• Erasmo Ramirez on mlb.com