After Justin Masterson‘s rough start to the 2014 season, many fans were debating whether or not the Indians should give him a qualifying offer, ensuring draft pick compensation if he were to sign with another team in the off-season. By the All-Star break, Masterson’s struggles had gotten so bad that many fans were wondering if he’d be able to bring any value at all if the Tribe were to trade him. Luckily for the Indians, the St. Louis Cardinals were willing to part ways with one of their better outfield prospects in the hopes that Masterson could aid them in a World Series run. Unlucky for the Cardinals, the trade proved to be completely one sided, as Masterson continued to falter in the Gateway City, while the Indians obtained a prospect with the potential to be productive for a number of years to come.
James Ramsey was first drafted in the 22nd round of the 2011 Amateur Draft by the Minnesota Twins but elected to return to Florida State for his senior year. This turned out to be a great decision for him. That year Ramsey played in 67 games for the ‘Noles slashing .378/.513/.652 with 12 doubles, 6 triples, 13 home runs, and 11 stolen bases. His success in his final year made him the 23rd overall pick in the first round of 2012 Amateur Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ramsey is not known as a particularly skilled player, his game is characterized more so by grit and determination than raw talent. That is not to say that Ramsey is not talented, quite the contrary actually, as you aren’t drafted in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals, perhaps the best organization in baseball at identifying and developing talent, if you aren’t extremely talented. At 6’0″ 190 pounds, Ramsey is not a physically imposing figure, but he makes the most of his small frame. Coming out of college he wasn’t expected to hit for much power, but that hasn’t been the case thus far as he’s managed to hit 16 home runs in each of his first two professional seasons. He has a tendency to strike out a lot, evidenced by a consistent K% between 23%-26%, but manages to counteract that by a patient approach at the plate which draws his fair share of walks.
After being drafted by the Cardinals in 2012 he was immediately sent to the team’s high-A affiliate. He began the following season back in A before an early season promotion to AA Springfield. Ramsey started 2014 back in AA before being traded to the Indians, who promoted him to AAA Columbus. In 28 games with the Clippers, Ramsey slashed .284/.365/.468 with 3 home runs, 9 doubles, 1 triple, and 16 RBI.
With the major league roster as full as it is, Ramsey will begin the season in AAA, where the outfield may be just as packed with Ramsey, Tyler Holt, Carlos Moncrief, and potentially Tyler Naquin fighting for playing time. However, Ramsey is arguably the most accomplished of the bunch as he is the only one who has excelled at all levels of the minor leagues. Further aiding Ramsey’s case for priority in playing time is his ability to play all three outfield positions without much drop off between positions. He is better suited for center field or left field since he has just an average arm, but he’s fully capable of playing right field in a pinch.
While Ramsey may have performed well at every level he has played, he projects more as a 4th outfield option rather than an everyday player. He’s 25 and beginning to reach the age where his development will plateau. His outfield versatility and strong hitting abilities weigh heavily in his favor when it comes time to call up an outfielder to the big league roster. This season will likely be his last chance to take the next step and prove his is capable of being an everyday player at the next level. To do this, he’ll have to prove he can hit lefties with more frequency. In his short stint in Columbus he slashed just .194/.256/.333 against lefties, compared to .329/.414/.534 against righties. A full season’s worth of at bats against AAA pitching may be just what he needs as he’s shown at other levels he can do much better against southpaws. Before coming to the Indians, Ramsey slashed .250/.316/.412 against lefties in AA, still not great numbers, but much more tolerable than his sub-Mendoza Line production in Columbus. Overall, getting Ramsey for Masterson seems like an absolute steal and if he can take the next step in his development, we may be once again praising the Indians’ front office for their shrewd eye when it comes to minor league talent.
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