The Pirates did a lot over the offseason to add to a struggling bullpen, hoping to build some depth so they don’t have to overwork their All-Star closer. One carry over that will look to earn a bullpen spot is Yohan Ramirez, a former waiver pickup from the Seattle Mariners.
It would be easy to overlook a middle reliever that was picked up in waiver claim, especially when the Pirates make so many claims over the course of the season.
Ramirez was one of few Pirates relievers who pitched well down the stretch, with a 3.67 ERA, and holding batters to a .220 average.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that he only allowed one home run either, as his sinker actually graded out as one of the better of its kind, in all of baseball — which helped him induce ground balls 58.7% of the time.
Colin Selby, a Rule 5-eligible pitcher in the Pirates org, would be the 2nd best pitcher stuff wise in their pen right now.
FB: 97-99 MPH (been up to 100)
SL: High 80s gyro-ish
CB: Low 80s with sweep and depthAnd he made quite the showing in the AFL this year.
When looking at his sinker, the pitch was very similar to Mitch Keller’s, and in fact, on Baseball Savant, Ramirez’s graded out better in almost every category.
Making solid contact was a task against Ramirez, as hitters posted a .267 wOBA and 84.2 average exit velocity against his sinker. He didn’t generate a lot of swing and miss with the pitch (just a 10.8 K%), he used his slider to finish hitters off (37 K%).
Overall, hitters managed just a 3.8% barrel rate against, and averaged just a 4.7° launch angle. In his brief time with the Pirates, no other reliever posted a higher Win Probability Added (WPA) – 0.85 – than Ramirez.
The Pirates added a few options to the bullpen mix this season, along with getting some arms back healthy. It still may not be a true strength of the team, but at the very least it should be deeper than it was a year ago.
If that’s the case, it will help keep players in roles that better suit them. When it comes to Ramirez, his ability to induce soft contact on the ground should easily be able to find a spot in the bullpen, despite being a player that is often overlooked.
Highlight of the Day
Pirates Prospects Daily
By Tim Williams
**In our latest Roundtable, I asked for everyone’s thoughts on the Pirates’ veteran additions.
**Four Pirates ranked among the MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects.
**Miguel Andujar cleared waivers and received a non-roster invite to Spring Training.
**Missed yesterday? Anthony wrote about Malcom Nunez and the first base depth.
Song of the Day
Pirates Prospects Weekly
In our latest Roundtable, I asked for everyone’s thoughts on the Pirates’ veteran additions.
Pirates Roundtable: What Do You Think of the Pirates’ Veteran Additions?
We’ll have a new version of Pirates Discussion on Friday at noon.
