Cleveland Sports Forum

Ooo, he was in the Futures game.


James Ramsey, outfielders, St. Louis Cardinals

This is a similar situation to the one the Nationals find themselves in, except at the Minor League level.

Ramsey, a 2014 Futures Game selection, has thrived in his second go-round in the Texas League, putting up a .302/.383/.535 line with 12 homers and 31 RBIs in 55 games for Double-A Springfield. The Cardinals’ No. 6 prospect is blocked at the Triple-A level, however, by No. 2 prospect Stephen Piscotty (.801 OPS), No. 11 prospect Randal Grichuk (.821 OPS) and veterans Shane Robinson (.331 average) and Thomas Pham (.907 OPS) (a group that included top prospect Oscar Taveras until late June). All four have shown good bats in 2014, and though playing time is difficult to share with only three open spots, none of the four seems like an obvious choice to be the man left out, meaning the 24-year-old Ramsey is left in Springfield.

“I think career-wise, you want to be moving up as fast as you can — you want that opportunity,” Ramsey told MLB.com last Sunday. “But I think there is value in having to learn how to deal with these situations. I want to be in an organization that wins and plays the game the right way. Even if you have to wait longer for that opportunity, I think it will be worth it. … But I also think that the arms I’ve faced in the Texas League, I really would rival them against most leagues you see as far as actual big league ability.”

The Cardinals have been rumored to be on the lookout for starting pitching help, particularly Jake Peavy of the Red Sox, and catching assistance, given the recent thumb injury to All-Star backstop Yadier Molina. (The Twins’ Kurt Suzuki has been mentioned as a possibility there.) As St. Louis tries to negotiate one of these trades, the Cards will likely dip into their outfield depth, and don’t be surprised to see Ramsey, who is a little too old and is performing a little too well for Double-A, to be on his way to a new organization.

Sounds like he is off to Columbus.

kenm - I thought about you when I typed "white flag" and right on cue, you show up!

Recently drafted in 2012. This is post draft. HEY, he is kenm's kinda guy! Tebow-like!


2012 MLB Draft: Cardinals Select James Ramsey 23rd Overall

by Michael Rodgers


Say “hello” to the baseball version of Tim Tebow. Like Tebow, Ramsey is known for his leadership, strong Christian faith and incredible character and intangibles. Like Tebow, he was also quite the ballplayer in college. Also like Tebow, he may end up a better college player than pro player. That’s not to say that Ramsey can’t develop into a good major league player, because that’s certainly possible. That said, the Cardinals drafting Ramsey at #23 overall was a bit of an overdraft. He was the top senior in the draft, which may have had extra value in this year’s draft under the new CBA. Still, Baseball America had the Florida State outfielder ranked 51st among draft prospects this year. MLB.com liked Ramsey a bit better, ranking him 41st. On the other hand, Keith Law over at ESPN wasn’t enamored with Ramsey, not even ranking him in his top 100 draft prospects.

The Stuff

Getting technical, James Ramsey is a 5 tool player. However, the term “5 tool” generally invokes mental images of a player with immense upside and that is not an accurate characterization of Ramsey. In fact, Ramsey’s value is in his floor; he might have the best shot of becoming a major leaguer as any player in the draft. Since whether Ramsey will make it or not isn’t much a question, the actual question is how much of an impact he will make once he gets there. Ramsey does have all 5 tools, but all are average or above-average. Ramsey’s speed might earn a grade of 60 due his headiness that allows his actual athleticism to play up on the bases. In the field, Ramsey is currently a centerfielder, but it’s unclear if he can play there long term. His arm is just average, so left field might be his future destination if he can’t stick up the middle.

Offensively, Ramsey has a great approach at the plate and a solid hit tool. He has the ability to spray balls to all parts of the diamond and shouldn’t have much trouble getting on base at an acceptable clip, even at the big league level. His power is a different story. Right now, it’s average at best, and it doesn’t necessarily profile to get any better. Ramsey is only 6’0, 190 lbs and doesn’t have exceptional bat speed or raw power, so there isn’t much future potential when it comes to his ability to hit with pop. That’s the main reason Ramsey doesn’t profile well at a corner and due to his potential defensive deficiencies, he has earned the label “tweener.”

The Stats

2009: 68 AB, .294/.422/.426, 2HR, 13 BB, 18 K, 0 SB, 0 CS
2010: 230 AB, .287/.435/.517, 9 HR, 50 BB, 48 K, 11 SB, 1 CS
2011: 236 AB, .364/.444/.593, 10 HR, 31 BB, 48 K, 11 SB, 3 CS
2012: 199 AB, .382/.515/.673, 12 HR, 53 BB, 37 K, 9 SB, 4 BB

The Future

Ramsey has a really high floor and a fairly low ceiling. Ultimately, that could be construed as pretty boring; the outcomes for his career don’t vary. Most of Ramsey’s future, the unknown parts of it, come down to his defensive position and power development. He’s going to hustle, play hard, hit for a decent average, and get on-base. He’ll be a good clubhouse guy and all of the other cliches, which is definitely better than being a nuisance, distraction, or “clubhouse cancer.” What is unsure is if Ramsey will stick at centerfield. That’s his best option to boost his value. If he can’t left field is a likely destination unless he shows more with his arm. If not left or right field, it’s possible the Cardinals try him at second base, where his instincts and solid athleticism would be satisfactory for manning the right side of second base, especially with his potential “weak” arm. At any of those spots, Ramsey’s ceiling depends on his growth as a power hitter. If he blossoms beyond expectations and develops above-average power and sticks at centerfielder, he could become a very good player. That’s unlikely though. What’s more likely is Ramsey becoming a 4th outfielder, or a super utility player. If he starts, it will probably be as a below-average defensive centerfielder with a decent bat or an average defensive second baseman. That’s not particularly exciting, especially for a 23rd overall pick, but it was the Cardinals second pick of the first round and they added upside later in the draft, making Ramsey a palatable choice, especially if he proves his critics – who don’t see him as having much of a ceiling – wrong.

He sounds like the kind of guy who is a grinder. He plays the game the right way and is very gritty. Nothing like the Indians annual dump of their best pitcher to bring out the best in posters. Masterson I believe was also a good Christian so in that sense it is quite an even trade.

Well, I was hoping we could have got more for Masterson. But guess it was wishful thinking. His contract is up soon, he's injured, and he's stunk this season. I guess getting a guy who strikes out twice as much as he walks in AA was the best we could do.

Still hoping we can get someone a tad better for Cabrera.

There was a time when I used to know all the minor leaguers. I would travel the eastern league with my fiancee now my wife in tow to look at such stalwarts as Russell the whiffer Branyan who I saw in New Britain and Trenton and CC Big Rear Sabathia who I saw in Erie and Akron. Now I have no idea who is our future. We need to get rid of the Indians name. We need to get out front of the sociologic change. Whatever happened to Abrue? Why have we never brought Manny back? I did pay for the package for the Las Vegas Summer League though so I could watch a bunch of players who will never play for the CAVS.

Nothing like the Indians annual dump of their best pitcher to bring out the best in posters

OK, calling Masterson the Indians best pitcher completely blew the credibility of that post.

Drafted 1st round - 2012 draft


An Interview With St. Louis Cardinals Prospect James Ramsey

by James Benoit (2 years ago)


I recently had a chance to speak to James Ramsey, former Florida State University standout and current St. Louis Cardinal prospect. After his solid performance in this year’s College World Series run for FSU, he was a first rounder. From what I could tell, he is a great guy, and will be molded into a Cardinal’s great before long. Here’s what he had to say.

James Benoit: Dan Kantrovitz, the Cardinals scouting director, had high praise for you. He called you the most dominant college bat of 2012. How does it feel to hear that from someone who obviously knows talent when he sees it?

James Ramsey: The Cardinals organization from top to bottom has been great to me from the
minute I began meeting with Rob Fidler, my area scout. They have a great eye for talent, getting it into the system, and developing players for the biggest stage (MLB).

With all of the great college players, it means a lot to be considered the most dominant bat. And knowing the Cardinals, that’s probably based on objective information, not one person’s opinion.

Benoit: Is there a story at all behind your choice of uniform number at FSU? Will you be keeping the same throughout the minors and bigs?

Ramsey: I have always liked 23, and am wearing it right now in Palm Beach, but have
never been one to get too attached to a specific number to be honest. I’m not superstitious at
all, so I’ll continue wearing whatever number they give me on the way up.

Benoit: Your time so far with Palm Beach has shown pretty solid performance. What’s the team chemistry like down there?

Ramsey: The group of guys have been unbelievably accepting of me since arriving down
here. It starts with the top, as the coaching staff here is tremendous. Knowing I was coming straight to High A, everyone knew there would be some adjustments. I’m just trying to get better each day.

Benoit: Your faith seems to play a vital role in your life, as you’ve been called the Tim Tebow of FSU. How does your faith life translate to your work both on and off the diamond?

Ramsey: My faith is my number 1 priority – absolutely ZERO exceptions. It allows me to stay humble in success, confident in failure, and realize that I can go to bed easy each night knowing my Savior has already done it all for me, all I have to do is follow His will. On the diamond, I’m trying to start with actions first, then bring the Gospel to our clubhouse more each day. Being compared to Tim Tebow has been a daily occurrence for me over the last 2 years, and I take as an extreme compliment.

Benoit: What were some of your most memorable moments from your time at Florida State University?

Ramsey: There are too many to name, but just as many happened off the field than did on it. Being able to have the platform with my faith was undeserved, but I accepted that with humility. Being able to play in the College World Series twice was unbelievable! Overall, the relationships with my teammates is what I will remember and cherish most.

Benoit: Besides signing your contract, have you had any “pinch me, is this real” moments yet?

Ramsey: Not really, to be completely honest. Sure, there are plenty of moments in which I’m thankful to be here living out my childhood dream. All in all though, I feel comfortable where I’m at, and my blue collar mentality is not circumstantial. I’m always going to be the same guy, trying to give God the glory in the best and worst times in my life.

James Ramsey was truly class-act, and I can’t wait to see him make The Show! It’s truly remarkable having such talent coupled with a man who has his head on straight. That’s what creates a leader in the clubhouse, as well as off the field. Look for Ramsey, and keep up with his rise to the big leagues. Chances are, he will struggle some, but look the kinks to be quickly ironed out. If you’re looking for a little inspiration in your life, you can follow Ramsey on Twitter too (@jamesramsey23). For more in depth minor league coverage, be sure to visit FanSided’s MiLB page (http://www.seedlingstostars.com)

More trades to come? Are the Indians raising the white flag?

Actually, I raised the flag just before the break. Hope I'm wrong but 7 games will be hard to makeup and with this team's inconsistencies, I believe the wild card is out of the question.

I think being sellers right now is the right thing to do.

Since we won't be in the buyer's market for players like Cespedes, Puig, Abreu, Tomas, Martin, Chapman, Iwakuma, Darvish, Ryu, Tanaka, etc., the next best thing is building once again through the draft and hope we are smart on our selections. With all the high picks again next season, this can't be a hit and miss situation. We have to make the right choices.

Ramsey appears to be a good start.

While Masty is a great guy, I am glad they traded him. I went to a few games he pitched and he blew every one. He is inconsistent and it is good he did not accept that contract. I know nothing about this new guy but will give him a chance.

TFIR wrote:

Nothing like the Indians annual dump of their best pitcher to bring out the best in posters

OK, calling Masterson the Indians best pitcher completely blew the credibility of that post.

Was he not our opening day starter or maybe I am misremembering? If I wasnt then the brain trust is not good at evaluating their own ball players.

If I was the owner of the Indians I would do just as the Dolans are doing. Pay your guys nothing. Invest minimally in the minors leagues get the competitive balance money and laugh all the way to the bank.