When No One Was looking The Atlanta Braves Quietly Found A Setup Man

Moving On

Last season Ramirez spent most of the first half of the season in AAA with a couple of call-ups to the big team that amounted to 3 appearances. At the deadline he was traded to Seattle along with Ramon Flores for Dustin Ackley. The trade was a head scratcher at the time and the Yankees might want a do-over as Ackley has been a non-factor for the Yankees since arriving.

Ramirez made nine appearances for AAA Tacoma and got a September call-up to Seattle where he made five appearances throwing just 4 2/3 innings striking out three and walking six. The Mariners were likely surprised when the Braves – presumably on the advice of the former Yankee scouts brought in by John Hart and John Coppolella – ask about him.  The Mariners relinquished him pretty easily for the venerable PTBNL – who later became Ryne Harper.

Braves Beginnings

I paid no attention to Ramirez when he signed or in spring training pictures I tool then showed he was no longer “slight” or “rail-thin.” He broke camp with the Braves. but it was a short-lived visit to Atlanta. He made two appearances in April giving up six runs in two innings earning him a trip to Gwinnett.

When the Braves called him back from the hinterlands on July 28 he was a different pitcher. The fastball is still explosive and late life running in hard on RHH, the slider improved and his change will buckle your knees . Here’s what Brooks Baseball says bout his pitches.

"His four seam fastball has an obvious tail, generates a high number of swings & misses . . .(with) natural sinking action and has well above average (velocity). His slider is an extreme fly ball pitch. . .(with) less than expected depth. His change generates an extremely high number of swings & misses . . . has an obvious arm side fade, is slightly firmer than usual and results in somewhat more fly balls compared to other pitchers’ changeups."

In 21 innings over appearances since returning Ramirez posted a 1.71 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 11 walks – three intentional. Opposing hitters post a .192/.307/.329/.636 line against him and have touched him up for one homer.  There isn’t a big difference in his R/L splits for the season.

Next: Deeper into the numbers