ARLINGTON — When Heliot Ramos showed up at Oracle Park a few months after the Giants took him 19th overall in the 2017 MLB draft, he went through the usual routine. He met with the media, took pictures on the field with GM Bobby Evans and other team executives, and toured the facilities. And then Ramos sat in the dugout with Bruce Bochy for a while, the two smiling as they talked about the young outfielder’s future.
As Ramos reflects on that day Saturday afternoon, he notices how much has changed. He was well built for a 17 year old, but still skinnier than he is today. There was no beard, or even a hint of facial hair. Bochy came out of retirement wearing the orange and black, came back and won another title.
As Bochy’s Texas Rangers’ old team prepares to come to Globe Life Field this weekend, a lot of attention will be on Ramos. Now he is easily the Giants’ most dangerous hitter.
“He was swinging the bat well,” Bochy said before the series. “I saw this kid come up in the minors when I retired with the time I spent there. [was] Men watching. He’s a good kid, he’s got power, he’s got an arm, he runs well. He is a talented athlete. We have to try to get him out.
The Rangers haven’t been able to make it through 18 innings very often, although to be fair to them, the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and others have had the same problem over the past month.
Ramos had two more wins on Saturday, and both were huge. His RBI double in the first gave the Giants the lead and his two-run homer in the third was the difference in a 3-1 victory, his third straight after a six-game losing streak.
“What about Ramos?” Manager Bob Melvin wondered aloud in the postgame. “He’s playing with a lot of confidence.”
Ramos says it’s easy to do. He’s trusting his plan at the plate, and more often than not, it leads to hard contact or walks. He was confident when he returned to the big leagues. Batting .327 with six homers last month only added more layers.
“Confidence is when you make things happen,” he said.
Ramos posted a .973 OPS with 23 runs scored in 28 games, which ranked second in the National League among players with more than 100 plate appearances. The product also comes in different forms. After giving him the lead in recent days, he moved Melvin Ramos to No. 2 and Austin Slater could hit first on the left side.
It’s been a common place for Slater in those matches in recent years, but it wasn’t an automatic call-up given his early struggles. Slater scored twice on Ramos’ extra base hits, making the manager look brilliant. Melvin was especially pleased that he was able to come back from an 0-2 count and lead off the game with a walk. Even when you’re not leading a race, that’s the look managers like.
Melvin spoke before Saturday’s game about how he wants to find more stability at the top of the lineup. It would go a long way if Slater can find his old form against left fielders, and Melvin, the team’s longest-tenured player, said he appreciates giving it up Saturday, considering his overall numbers this season.
“It’s a lot of confidence,” Slater said.
That’s generally what you get from more experienced managers like Melvin and Bochy. Before Saturday’s game, Bochy spent much of his time talking about his belief in the underperformance of the Rangers’ likes of Adolise Garcia and Jonas Hamm. Better days are sure to come.
Melvin was recently rewarded for his patience with Wilmer Flores. He is hoping that Slater is the next fight, and maybe the team’s new midfield can help with this. Slater said Saturday that the goal was just to get on base for Ramos.
“I think I’m getting a lot of fastballs if he keeps this up,” he said with a smile. “I’m fine with that.”
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