The Dodgers Might’ve Added More Than Just Depth

According to multiple reports, the Dodgers signed right-handed reliever AJ Ramos, adding him as a non-roster player into the teams allotted 60 man pool. With injuries certain to occur, adding an experienced low-risk option like Ramos as depth was inevitable. He’s been shelved since late May of 2018 after sustaining a torn labrum in his right shoulder pitching for the New York Mets but had a successful stint as a closer for the Marlins, which is the form most attractive to regain.

In Miami from 2015-2017, Ramos held a 2.79 ERA (140 ERA+) and 3.17 FIP (80 FIP-). He led all relievers in appearances and innings pitched on the team in that span, proving how valuable and reliable he was. His 92 saves were the 5th most by any reliever from 2015 until the time Miami traded him, behind Mark Melancon (109), Kenley Jansen (108), Jeurys Familia (97), and Craig Kimbrel (95).

As far as his repertoire, while with the Marlins since 2015, Ramos had an extensive one. According to Brooks Baseball, he threw a 4-seamer and slider around 33 percent of the time. A changeup around 18 percent, sinker 6 percent, a cutter 4 percent, and a curveball 3 percent. Barring any change or addition, the Dodgers will likely have him focus on a fastball, slider, and an occasional changeup mix that will maintain inducing weak contact and an above-average swinging strike percentage. Speaking of Ramos preventing hitters from squaring him up, he consistently stayed in the 75+ percentile in exit velocity, hard-hit rate, strikeout percentage, and swinging strikeout percentage.

Now the question that naturally looms in situations like AJ’s is, how close will he be to regaining any ability to throwing as hard or as well as he did in the years highlighted in this article? If you follow his Twitter, you might have some growing optimism. Why? Well…

On the right of the video is the pitch he’s throwing along with the velocity, spin rate, spin efficiency, spin direction, horizontal break, and vertical break of each pitch. And matching the velocity and spin rate numbers against his best years, he’s throwing harder and with more spin. Ramos has worked hard, showing determination to get back on the field to prove he’s still worthy and then some. But if none of what I wrote excites you a little, then maybe this video by Ramos will.

Oskar is a writer for Dodgers-Lowdown. Follow him on Twitter @2Rawsko94. Photo credit: Sergio Estrada (USA Today Sports)

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