Heliot Ramos brimmed with confidence in the Giants’ clubhouse on Saturday afternoon. He’d just been called up from Triple-A for the third time this year. He’d been asked to play right field and hit in the three-hole against the rival Dodgers. Tasked with facing future first-ballot Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw.
The 22-year-old outfielder didn’t even need to hear a full question about Kershaw before answering.
“I’m ready for him,” Ramos said. “I’m ready.”
Players fresh up from Triple-A don’t typically hit in the heart of the order. But the Giants, and manager Gabe Kapler, don’t press buttons randomly. Penciling Ramos third in the order is a pointed move — one the skipper believes could provide a mental edge.
As if Ramos needed more confidence.
“I think sometimes it’s helpful to show a player what they can be before they are that player,” Kapler said pregame. “I think there is a lot of value in Heliot coming to the ballpark against the Dodgers, seeing Clayton Kershaw in the lineup and knowing that he’s the three-hole hitter for the Giants. I think today’s an opportunity for us to kind of instill some confidence in Heliot and get him excited about the opportunity.”
The player Ramos can be is an all-around contributor at the major league level. He’s the Giants’ fifth-ranked prospect and has flashed potential throughout the minors.
That player has yet to surface for the Giants. Ramos is 2-for-9 in five games with SF this year. His promotion in the first week of the season raised eyebrows, then he underperformed at Triple-A after getting sent down. Sometimes when a player gets a taste of The Show, they can lose a bit of focus when back in the minors.
The Puerto Rico native hit .212 for the River Cats, but Kapler said the reports have been promising recently. Ramos joined SF for one game on its past road trip, but went 0-for-3 in Philadelphia. Now he’ll be one of seven right-handed hitters — including backup catcher Austin Wynns as the designated hitter — in the starting lineup against Kershaw.
The small-sample performance hasn’t changed the Giants’ faith in Ramos. They still think he can reach his “ceiling.”
“I think it’s a concept that’s just true to people,” Kapler said of the confidence-instilling philosophy. “Believing in them. Saying something like, you don’t have to always prove it first, we’re going to give you a chance, right? We believe that your ceiling is high. We’re coupling that with: we want our players at the Triple-A level to perform. To earn these opportunities. I think there’s a bit of a push-pull. We’re going to raise the bar for you, we’re going to ask for more from you. In order to get these opportunities, you’re going to need to earn them. And then when you have them, we’re going to show that we really believe in you and you’re capable of being great in this moment.”
