The Resurrection of ChrisTaylor

Yes, I have crappy Photoshop skills, but I spent all of 45 seconds doing it.

OK, this was not my idea.  The Truth Hurts put me up to it!  

Actually, this may be the second coming because some had Chris Taylor dead and buried a few weeks ago when his batting average dropped to .279. So, again some had him regressing to the mean (whatever the mean is), but he would have nothing to do with it.  Last night he hit his 13th HR and drove in his 5oth and 51st RBI’s.  On the year,he is hitting.313 with a .379 OB%. .534 Slugging % and .913 OPS.

In case you hadn’t noticed, he is also becoming a very good outfielder.  He routinely turns doubles into singles and has a very good arm.  If it were up to me, he would be the Dodgers starting CF next year.  He can play the position as good as Joc… maybe better by then. I am tired of waiting on Joc – he is what he is and I don’t see that changing.  Maybe a change of scenery over the Winter will benefit him, but on my team, Chris Taylor is the CF.  Puig, Toles, Verdugo, Ramos and Rios would be candidates for my outfield.  Of course, I will need to see Rios in LF but Ramos can play it too.  Ramos can play RF as well… and has played CF, but he’s doesn’t have the speed for that.

Henry Ramos is a name to remember Dodger Fans.  He is 25 years old, 6′ 2″ 220 pounds and a switch-hitter.  Henry was signed by Boston in 2010 after being drafted in the 5th round. After the 2014 season, he was rated Boston’s #29 Prospect, but he stalled out.  When drafted, Baseball America had this to say about him:

The best power in Puerto Rico belongs to switch-hitting outfielder Ramos, who stands 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds with a strong, athletic frame. He is relatively new to baseball, spending most of his youth as a soccer player, and his power shows up more during batting practice than in games. When he connects the ball jumps off his bat and goes a long way. Ramos is a below-average runner but is athletic enough and has the arm strength to play right field. He has good makeup and just needs to play every day in order to turn his tools into performance.

In 2014, BA wrote this about him:

A tremendous athlete who had limited playing experience as an amateur, Ramos seemed as if he might be in the midst of a career breakthrough at Double-A Portland in 2014. The switch-hitter was one of the team’s top performers through 48 games before fouling a ball off the side of his left knee, creating a stress fracture on the opposite side of the knee that ended his season. Ramos returned to the field by the end of instructional league and appeared to be unhindered as a runner. His plus range, plus arm and average speed in right field suggest a player who could fill an extra outfielder role in the big leagues. Ramos has shown improved pitch recognition as he’s moved up the ladder, and he has the strength to drive the ball out of the park. “If he hits at all,” said one National League evaluator, “he’s a starter.”

After 6 years in Boston’s system, he elected minor league free agency last winter and the Dodgers signed him with a Spring Training invite.  He had some injuries that slowed him down, but since he was activated he has torn the cover off the ball. This year, in 97 combined at bats between Tulsa and OKC, he is hitting .423 with a .468 OB% and 1.138 OPS.  He has 6 HR, 18 RBI and has taken 10 walks. He is very Chris Taylor-esque!

Now, I realize this is a small sampling, but if you watch him, you can see he has a good idea of what he is doing at the plate – he swings with confidence, much like Chris Taylor and his made-over swing.  He can also bunt:

He can also play a little defense:

Of course he hits home runs too:

Here’s his AAA debut:

If FAZ keeps finding these guys, they won’t have to sign the Harpers, Machados or Arenados of the world.

Henry Ramos – that name just sounds like a ballplayer!

Minor League Report