Noé Ramirez hoping to build off strong second half of 2021 season for Diamondbacks
One year can certainly make a big difference in the life of a professional athlete. Take for example the last 365 days for Diamondbacks reliever Noé Ramirez.
Last March, Ramirez didn't make the Cincinnati Reds' opening day roster after he was traded there by the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels re-signed him, but he appeared in just two games before being designated for assignment.
The Diamondbacks claimed Ramirez, who'd posted good numbers with the Angels over the previous 3 ½ seasons, and sent him to Triple-A Reno. In June he got called up to the majors, and after working his way into a regular right-handed setup man role, put up the lowest earned run average of any D-Backs reliever in 2021.
Ramirez is back at another Cactus League spring training site, this one being Salt River Fields at Talking Stick for the first time, with presumably a better chance to make the Opening Day roster after his success in 2021.
But Ramirez isn't looking back on a 2.76 ERA over 36 games and 18 hits allowed in 32 ⅔ innings. He's got his situational role to reclaim in 2022 after signing a one-year, $1.25 million contract to avoid arbitration last November.
"Last year ended pretty well, probably the best year of my career," the 32-year-old right-hander from East Los Angeles said. "Granted I didn't pitch a full year, but it could have definitely gone south considering the circumstances to start the year. But I'm just trying to build off last year. Never satisfied, just trying to get better every day."
Ramirez has pitched just once in a spring training game this month, but said he hasn't felt this good at the start of camp in years..
Movement on his pitches is what Ramirez relies on to be more effective.
"Every year is always a tryout for the next year. I'm not the hardest thrower, you know, I really need to throws strikes and fool some guys to have success. I can't rely on a mid-90s fastball to get away with a mistake," Ramirez said. "That's always in the back of my head, and I like that. I don't want to be too comfortable at ever thinking I have a job for next year for sure. I've got to work. It's always 100 percent. I'm always going full out."
Ramirez feels he has to be almost perfect with his mechanics. He said he developed a good routine for himself last season, one that was key to his success and which he hopes to add to.
"It's baseball. It's so hard," he said.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Ramirez was relied upon heavily last season, and to that end the team brought in a number of other candidates for bullpen spots this spring.
"Noé is an unbelievable competitor, believes in himself and has a fearless mentality with his ability get outs at the right time," Lovullo said. "He knows what he's trying to do each and every pitch and executes at a very high level. He isn't overpowering, but that just goes to show you if you throw the ball where you want to, you're going to have good results."
Having a true singular role in the bullpen also helped Ramirez. He'd been deployed as an opener, middle reliever and setup man with the Angels.
Ramirez has kept things in perspective. He calls his teammates his brothers and his family, since he spends so much time with them over a season, and enjoys the atmosphere in the clubhouse.
"Something that I'll always cherish for the rest of my life and never forget," he said. "Never taking any of this for granted. It's a pretty awesome position to be in."
Get in touch with Jose Romero at Jose.Romero@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Noé Ramirez hoping to build off strong second half of 2021 season for Diamondbacks
