Showing tools this spring Ramirez continues to work on his defense in an effort to stick as a catcher when he reaches the major leagues, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports. Impact Acquired from the Yankees in last year's Jazz Chisholm trade, Ramirez's bat has never been in question -- Wednesday, he posted an exit velocity of 115.1 mph, the sixth-fastest hit recorded by any player this spring and a mark only topped among 2024 MLB catchers by William Contreras -- but the 23-year-old still has work to do on his pitch framing, blocking and release time on base-stealing attempts. Ramirez showed up early to camp to try and improve in all those areas, however, and his work ethic has been noticed by the Marlins' coaching staff. "We've been hammering all of it," catching coach Joe Singley said this week. "I think he's super talented, and there's a lot of low hanging fruit there. We're getting him in positions where he can let that athleticism go, slightly adjusting some things to help him block the ball and receive it without having to think about it too much. Just clearing up some positions for him to be an athlete." Ramirez is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville, but if Nick Fortes' back issues linger into Opening Day, it could open up a spot for the organization's top catching prospect to make his MLB debut.
MARCH 2 • ROTOWIRE
