Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Hanley Ramirez Born: 12/23/1983 (Age: 30)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 2"	Weight: 235
	Primary Position: SS
	Secondary Position: 3B

Evaluator	Ethan Purser
Report Date	10/13/2014
Dates Seen
Affiliate	(, )

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
			No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit		Plus hitter; special hands at the plate with the ability to make contact in all quadrants of the zone; near elite quickness and strength in his hands; special bat speed; excellent post-contact extension, which allows his bat to stay in the zone for a long period of time; will occasionally get pull-happy and open up some holes on the outer half but has enough strength and hand-eye coordination to overcome this; will often struggle with pitch recognition, especially against breaking balls; flashes the ability to keep his hands back on off-speed offerings and can drive them even when fooled/off balance.
Power		Plus power; impressive raw and in-game pop generated by a power-oriented swing; generous lift through the zone with plus-plus bat speed; lower half is efficient and extremely powerful when everything is in sync; creates enormous torque by emphatically separating his halves and generates leverage by rotating his hips around a firm front leg; the result is a pole-to-pole power hitter who is still capable of 20-25 home runs a season given health; power could slip into the above-average range (55) into his mid-30s.
Baserunning/Speed		Average runner; best digs in the 4.3 range; no longer a burner but has plenty of speed to steal ~15 bags a season pending health; good base stealer with a solid track record of success; average runner at present but there is a chance the tool plays at the fringe-average level in his mid-30s as his body heads south.
Glove		Limited range at shortstop; first-step quickness is lacking; poor footwork for the position; plays wild and out of control at times; can make the plays in his vicinity and his hands work well enough; balls in the 5-6 holes give him trouble due to poor reactions to his right; flair for the dramatic (see recent playoff performance at the position) but not a consistent defensive performer up the middle; glove could play to average (50) given a move to third base.
Arm		Solid-average arm strength; will throw from a lower slot on occasion and have the ball sail on him, causing accuracy issues; not a huge weapon but has plenty of juice from the left side.

Ramirez has everything needed to be a middle-of-the-order force, which is a coveted commodity on the free-agent market. A team looking for a shortstop should look elsewhere, however, as Ramirez lacks the quickness and range to be anything more than a below-average defender at a key position as he continues past his physical prime. The soon-to-be 31-year-old should be targeted as a third baseman who, with some work, could be an average defender at the hot corner. Health is always a factor with Ramirez, and nagging injuries have been the bugaboo throughout his career with fluctuating performance as a result. This is the biggest wildcard with Ramirez—if he's healthy, he's one of the most dangerous hitters on the planet. I do not expect the lingering injuries to subside as he climbs into his 30s, and any team that signs him long-term has to take his health into consideration. A five to six-year contract seems fitting for both sides, and I see Ramirez being productive for the majority of that contract with some declination of skills around age 34-35. There is plenty of risk given the injury history and the assumption that he will not remain healthy throughout his 30s.