GLENDALE, Ariz. — Look no further than Bryan Ramos’ dive into English as his second language to know what makes the White Sox’ top third-base prospect tick.
Yes, Ramos can hit, hit with power and play solid defense at the hot corner. But the Cuban native’s awareness of a new environment and culture he’s adapting to and tackling it head-on has set him apart.
“If you were forced to grade out makeup on Bryan Ramos, it wouldn’t get much better,” Sox assistant general manager/player development Chris Getz said.
“He’s one of the more determined players I’ve been around. And he’s on the field [in his first major-league camp] with Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson, and he doesn’t look out of place.”
First-year manager Pedro Grifol quickly noticed how “hungry” Ramos is to succeed. Grant Flick, manager of player development/international operations who teaches English to prospects, raves about what a quick study Ramos is.
“The kid’s capacity for learning is unbelievable,” Flick said. “I’ve done this for seven years, and it’s hard to come up with someone who is as intellectual, dedicated and thoughtful as Ramos is as a kid. I’m incredibly proud of the way he works.”
Ramos is ranked fifth among Sox prospects by MLB Pipeline behind shortstop Colson Montgomery, outfielder Oscar Colas, pitcher Noah Schultz and infielder Lenyn Sosa. The Sox put him on the 40-man roster last year after he batted a combined .266/.338/.455 with 22 homers, 19 doubles, one triple, 86 RBI and 72 runs in 120 games last season between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham. He ranked among Sox organizational leaders in RBI (third) and home runs (fifth).
The Sox, who have a $25 million club option for Moncada after next season, project Ramos as an impactful major-leaguer one day. They know he badly wants it.
And Grifol got a glimpse of it right away, taking note of how Ramos doesn’t “waste days” in camp.
“I consider myself a hard worker,” Ramos told the Sun-Times on Friday without the assistance of an interpreter. “I will find something every day to work on to improve. It’s my career. Improve all I can and be better each day.”
Ramos said he likes the language. He speaks English to teammates and coaches every day.
“I’m getting fluent. I can have a conversation with anybody,” he said. “Some guys don’t do too much conversation, but since I came to this country, I have to communicate with my coaches and teammates. So I learned the language. It’s important in this sport.
“And the fans want to know the players and what they like to do, so I share things on social media. I like to share with the people so they get to know me a little more.”
With Moncada playing for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, Grifol said Ramos will get more playing time in Cactus League games before he likely starts the season at Birmingham.
As a player, Getz said Ramos is solid in just about every element of his skills, including defense, power and decision-making at the plate, although Ramos said that’s an area he’s brushing up.
“It’s every player’s dream to be on an MLB team, so this is a big step,” he said of being in major-league camp. “Now I’m kind of part of the team. It’s an opportunity.”
