Mets prospect Alex Ramirez is wide awake after slumbering through last season

A strong showing in 2022 put Alex Ramirez on the map as a future center field candidate for the New York Mets. At just 19, Ramirez slashed .281/.346/.436 for St. Lucie and Brooklyn. He did it with some good power which included 30 doubles and 11 home runs. To top it off, he added 21 stolen bases.

Ramirez’s game was far from perfect. His 122 strikeouts in 121 games has remained a constant theme in his career. Ironically, only in 2023 has he had a season where he finished with fewer strikeouts than games played.

It’s ironic because Ramirez was asleep through much of 2023. A career-worst .221/.310/.317 slash line put a damper on his trajectory. The Mets only added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Thankfully, they bought into the idea of another team stashing him on their bench. Ramirez has been amazing for Binghamton.

Mets prospect Alex Ramirez has woken up again

Through 80 plate appearances, Ramirez is batting .343/.405/.500. He has driven in 12 runs and has already successfully swiped 11 bases. The Rumble Ponies had themselves a day in New Hampshire on Saturday, scoring 9 runs in the first inning. Adrian Houser wasn’t even the pitcher they were going up against.

The monstrous start is actually a standout performance by Ramirez. Throughout the Mets minor league system, many of the high-performers so far this season have been the pitchers. Binghamton teammates Kevin Parada, Jett Williams, and Jeremiah Jackson are all hitting below .200 right now.

On the pitching side of things, the results have been good but not 2023 Christian Scott good. Joander Suarez leads the team with 4 starts and 21.1 innings of work. The 3.38 ERA is solid but he has struck out only 17 batters. Tyler Stuart, whose remarkable 2023 campaign was only outdone by what Scott did, owns a 3.45 ERA in 15.2 innings of work. It’s his 19 hits allowed that’s most alarming. A 1.40 WHIP doesn’t fly at any level.

Ramirez’s success is a nice turn for the pipeline and for a David Stearns-led organization. Having an affordable starting fielder who can play the position well and offer speed as well as a good bat fits well on any team. It will also save the Mets from having to pay players like Harrison Bader for their defense and hope to get anything from the bats.

Expect Ramirez to be a consideration as soon as 2024 in a very limited capacity. Because he is already on the 40-man roster, there is no need to hold him back. As a pinch runner or defensive substitute, he could become a late-season asset to the team.