MIAMI — The Yankees brought Jazz Chisholm Jr. over from the Marlins on July 27th last year in a notable trade involving three prospects and some star players.
Among those young players was Agustin Ramirez, who made a significant impact during the Marlins’ win in the first two games of their three-game series.
On Saturday, he hit two home runs off Yankees starter Cam Schlittler, launching them a total of 839 feet (421 feet in the first inning and 418 feet in the fourth). Those were the only runs in a 2-0 win for Miami.
Earlier in the night, Ramirez’s grounder resulted in a win for Xavier Edwards, leading to a 13-12 victory for the Marlins.
“He was a sought-after player,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said about the 23-year-old Ramirez. “He’s got immense power. He hit some fantastic balls today.”
Schlittler reminisced about a game last season at Triple-A, where Ramirez caught for him. Still, he didn’t see a strong connection between that moment and the two home runs he allowed.
“On the 3-1 count, I was aiming for a fastball. The second time, I think it was a sinker that got away. I tried to leave the sweeper, but he still managed to pull it off. Honestly, those were just two mistakes,” he explained.
Interestingly, Ramirez shone on the same day Chisholm made a double from an infield pop-up.
The trade from last year also featured infielders Abrahan Ramirez and Jared Cerna, both of whom remain in the Marlins’ system. In contrast, Agustin Ramirez has already hit 17 home runs and knocked in 50 RBIs.
It’s interesting how sometimes the players acquired for a star turn out to be stars themselves.
Ramírez expressed his aspirations: “I want to be a star and have a long career in MLB,” he conveyed through an interpreter.
He indicated he wasn’t disappointed about the deal with the Yankees, saying, “Oh, no, no… I was actually quite happy because many have told me that there are great opportunities here to reach the major leagues.”
Freshman Clayton McCullough believes this is just the beginning for Ramirez.
“I’ve watched Gus do amazing things offensively this season, and I see his potential for impact. His offensive ceiling is, I believe, still far from being reached,” McCullough remarked, with his team on a six-series winning streak.
“I expect to see better versions of him as he progresses. He’s understanding what pitchers are trying to do. He’s always a threat when he’s in the box.”
