Yordany Ramirez

Yordany Antonio Ramirez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.

• Born July 31, 1984 in Boca Chica, Santo Domingo D.R.

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Yordany Ramirez played four seasons in AAA, his highest level.

Ramirez was signed by the San Diego Padres as an amateur free agent; the scouts were Felix Francisco and Modesto Ulloa. He was a backup for the 2002-2003 Idaho Falls Padres, hitting .179/.244/.192 the first year and .266/.301/.304 the second. He split 2004 between the AZL Padres (.264/.300/.390, 16 SB, 1 CS in 39 G) and the Eugene Emeralds (3 for 15, HR, BB). He tied Wes Long for 7th in the Arizona League in steals. He also had 7 outfield assists, two shy of league leader Freddy Parejo. Baseball America rated him as having the best outfield arm in the Padres chain. He hit only .222/.263/.355 for the 2005 Fort Wayne Wizards and went 15-for-20 in steal attempts. He had 20 assists in the outfield and 12 errors. He was two assists behind Midwest League pacesetter Kenard Springer while leading in errors. Baseball America again listed him as having the best outfield arm in the San Diego system.

Yordany produced at a .252/.285/.378 clip for the 2006 Lake Elsinore Storm; his offensive strength remained his speed (23 SB, 4 CS) and his usually good defense was off (8 A, 9 E). He was 10th in the California League in swipes (between Marcus Sanders and Chris Frey). He was second in the San Diego chain in swipes, behind Freddy Guzman. Baseball America not only rated him as having the best outfield arm in the Padres chain and also as being the best defensive outfielder. In the summer of 2007, he played better for Lake Elsinore (.269/.298/.385 in 82 G, 22 SB, 6 CS) and the Portland Beavers (.315/.353/.433 in 30 G), with 28 steals in 39 tries overall, though he drew just 15 walks. He tied Matt Antonelli for second in the San Diego system in stolen bases, behind Javis Diaz.

After hitting .290/.292/.348 in 28 games as a backup for the Tigres del Licey in the 2007-2008 Dominican League, then was with them for the 2008 Caribbean Series. In game 3, he scored the winning run after pinch-running for D'Angelo Jimenez, coming home on a fly from Jose Bautista. The next game, he hit a two-run homer off Santiago Ramirez for insurance. The Tigres would win the Series. A minor league free agent, he signed with the Houston Astros and hit .231/.254/.382 with 19 steals in 28 tries and 12 homers while starting in AAA for the Round Rock Express; his defense was superb, as he fielded .994 and had 17 assists. He tied Hernan Iribarren and Eric Patterson for 10th in the 2008 PCL in stolen bases. His 8 sacrifice flies tied Justin Leone and Vinny Rottino for 4th in the league. He led outfielders in putouts (334), was one assist behind leader Jason Repko and .002 behind fielding percentage leader Tim Raines Jr. Baseball America ranked him as the best defensive outfielder in the PCL and as having the best outfield arm, as well as having the best outfield arm in the Astros chain. He hit .245/.260/.265 as a sub for Licey in 2008-2009.

In 2009, he batted .256/.275/.381 with 11 walks, 11 home runs and 14 steals (in 22 tries) for the Express, with 8 assists and 7 errors. Despite his reduced defensive performance, he was still rated by Baseball America as the premier defensive outfielder in the 2009 PCL (he did lead with 341 putouts) and as having the best outfield arm both in the league and in the Astros system. He hit .256/.281/.372 that winter for Licey. He continued to hit unimpressively for Round Rock in 2010 (.223/.259/.285) and was converted to pitching due to his strong arm, allowing 3 runs and 5 walks while fanning 7 in 5 2/3 IP for the Lexington Legends. In 2011, he pitched for Lexington (1-1, 5.14 in 4 G) and the Lancaster JetHawks (1-1, 11.88 in 19 G, 21 BB, 41 H in 25 IP). Returning to San Diego as a free agent, he was 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA for the 2012 Fort Wayne TinCaps to end his career.

Sources include 2012 Padres Media Guide, Baseball America, 2005-2010 Baseball Almanacs