2022 Pre-Season SF Giants Top Prospects: 1-5

2022 Pre-Season SF Giants Top Prospects: 1-5

5. Heliot Ramos

Position: OF
Age: 22
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 233 lbs.
Projected Level: Sacramento (Triple-A)
MLB ETA: 2022

Tool Grades (Present/Future)

Hit 40/50 | Raw Power 60/60 | Game Power 40/50 | Speed 50/50 | Arm 60/60 | Field 50/55

PV 40 | FV 50

For a guy who is always been aggressively promoted, Ramos was placed in a rather conservative Double-A assignment at the start of the season after getting reps in the alternate site in 2020. The Giants brass appreciated how Ramos went through and overcame his June slump with a stellar July that resulted in his promotion to Sacramento and finished the season there.

Heliot (pronounced as Elliot) has always been one of the youngest, if not the youngest, prospects in the level that he is playing, often facing pitchers several years older and with more minor-league experience than him. As a result, a good feel about Ramos as a prospect was developed while also still hiding something underneath the curtain. Heliot crushes balls to all fields with an inside-out swing that works best when he gets his arms extended along with his plus raw strength. Even though Ramos did a better job shortening up his swing this season, he still expands the zone and can be beaten by sequencing.

What might be more impressive than his power potential is his play in center field this season. Heliot carries his massive weight very well and has improved his defense up-the-middle with good reads, a solid range that ticks above once he gets going like a locomotive, solid first step, and flashing the ability to make spectacular diving catches along with an above-average arm. He’s also improved his base-steal well, posting a career-high in steals this season with an impressive stolen base rate.

Ramos has three-true-outcome traits while flashing the ability to stick at center long-term, though he will probably split time between center and right field in the coming years. It has been four years ago when Ramos played one full season for one team and that is unlikely to change this season where he will compete for a big-league roster in Spring Training and likely reach the Majors in the second half of the season.