WTM: Three Prospects to Watch Outside the Top 25

Keep an eye out for . . .

Feb 04, 2025

Richard Ramirez, C

This one is easy. Ramirez had a big 2024 season in the FCL, batting 288/374/464. That followed a big second DSL season in 2023 when he hit 252/361/476. He’s had good walk rates and has shown very good power for a guy who won’t turn 20 until the middle of the 2025 season. He also has a terrific arm; he threw out 54% of base stealers in 2023 and 47% in 2024.

Last summer, I saw him throw out five runners in the first three innings of a game. There are issues Ramirez has to overcome. For one, he’s prone to chasing bendy stuff, which led to a 32% K rate in 2024. He could run into the same problems Yordany De Los Santos has at Bradenton if he doesn't address that. Ramirez also needs to improve his receiving and blocking skills. Still, a 19-year-old catcher with good power and a great arm is a lot to start with.

Po-Yu Chen, RHP

Since receiving a $1M bonus to sign out of Taiwan in 2020, Chen has never exactly wowed people, but he’s kept plugging away and reached Altoona in 2024. He doesn’t overpower anybody; in fact, his low-90s fastball is pretty hittable. But he throws at least four pitches, with his splitter probably being the best, and he has excellent command. Like many pitchers who rely heavily on command, his K rate dropped sharply when he got to AA. Also, like a lot of command-oriented pitchers, Chen can be very sharp at times.

After starting off badly last year, he had about a ten-week stretch through the mid-season when he put up a 2.13 ERA in a dozen games. Past that point, he seemed to tire, which also happened in the late season at Greensboro in 2023. Apart from stamina, an issue Chen will need to address is left-handed hitters. He had little trouble with right-handed hitters at Altoona, but left-handers put up a .804 OPS against him. Chen doesn’t profile as a potential star, but if he can establish himself reasonably quickly at Indianapolis, he could figure as a possible depth starter, which isn’t something to sneeze at.

Estuar Suero, OF

On this one, I’m taking the concept of “player to watch,” as opposed to “potential breakout,” literally. (I’m also gambling on Anthony or Nola writing up Esmerlyn Valdez.) The Pirates acquired Suero at about the same they acquired Jhonny Severino, and for a while afterward, the national prospect sites seemed to like Suero better. It’s not hard to understand. He’s a tall, lean switch-hitter who covers a lot of ground in the outfield and seems to hold out the potential of power as he gets stronger.

Suero hit pretty well in his DSL debut in 2022 but hasn’t hit much in the FCL the last two years. In particular, he hasn’t made much hard contact. It’s difficult to make much of his 2024 season, though, because at some point, he suffered a hamate injury. He missed most of the first two-thirds of the season and struggled when he returned. He’s worth watching to see whether there was anything to the early scouting reports, and whether he can make some progress if he’s fully healthy in 2025. He won’t turn 20 until the end of the season.

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