‘Something special’: A humble Bryan Ramos is cashing in on his call-up amid plucky play from the White Sox
CHICAGO — While the Chicago White Sox sit in the cellar of the American League Central at 12-29, they’re 9-7 over their last 16 games and 6-3 over their last nine, thanks in part to a family-like atmosphere and an infusion of energy from guys like Bryan Ramos.
“[We’re] having a lot of fun,” said Mike Clevinger after his start Saturday. “Record might not fully show up, but it’s a really cohesive group here. We feel like it feels a lot more like a family and less like a team, if that makes sense.”
Before their 7-0 loss Sunday, The White Sox slashed .247/.284/.394 over their last 15 contests while averaging 4.4 runs per game, as compared to .192/.266/.292 with 2.2 runs per game over their first 25 games where Chicago went 3-22.
A similar story played out with the pitching staff, who went from a 5.26 ERA with a .788 OPS surrendered in their first 25 games, to a 3.69 ERA with a .681 OPS surrendered over their last 15.
During those 15 games came Ramos, who made his major league debut May 4 and has played in the White Sox’s last nine contests. In 30 at-bats, he has hit .267 with two RBI’s and three runs scored, while also playing error-free defense across 72 innings with 26 chances (six put outs, 20 assists).
“What’s there not to like? He brings a h*ll of a lot of energy to us,” said White Sox manager Pedro Grifol about Ramos Thursday. “He’s hungry, he’s young, athletic. He’s got tools and most importantly, he’s performed.”
Grifol said he likes Ramos the player as much as Ramos the person — A trait that goes a long way toward improving at the highest level of baseball in the eyes of the Sox’s skipper.
“He’s a learner. He’s a sponge, always asking questions,” Grifol said. “It’s a really good makeup, good character, high integrity kid.”
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Grifol’s opinion of Ramos isn’t a standalone spiel either, it’s reflective throughout the clubhouse.
Though he’s played just nine games going into Monday, Ramos’s teammates have given him reviews in the same vein as their manager.
“He’s as humble as it gets, speaks unbelievable English for someone who came over from Cuba,” said White Sox second baseman Nicky Lopez after their win Saturday. “He works really, really hard and you could tell that a lot of people like him. He’s a great addition and he’s going to be playing in the big leagues for a really long time.”
“You could tell in spring training that he was talented and had it all,” said Danny Mendick Monday. “For him to come up here and take advantage of opportunities, it’s awesome, it’s really awesome. It’s good to see, because that’s what you want. That’s what you want to do and that’s what you want other guys to do.”
Clevinger echoed similar sentiments to Mendick and Lopez.
“Our defense has been rock solid, especially Ramos coming up playing a h*ll of a third base over there,” Clevinger said. “Even watching Vaughn-y tracking down balls in foul territory, hitting the splits over there at first base. It’s been awesome.”
During Saturday’s game, Ramos picked a high-hopping, hot shot down the line at third base in the eighth inning. Fading into foul territory, he then turned and fired a one-hopper to a fully-outstretched Andrew Vaughn for the out.
According to Clevinger, it was a play indicative of how the defense has performed with Ramos in the lineup, but even with slick defensive plays already in his bag, he isn’t satisfied with the product he has put on display at the hot corner.
“I want to keep improving my defense. I think I’ve been improving things [over] the years and I want to keep learning in that area,” Ramos said. “No matter if you got ten years or two days in the big leagues, you’re never going to stop learning.”
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“Live in the moment”
For Ramos — A native of La Habana, Cuba — Every day is business as usual, but he tries to keep a balance of appreciating the opportunity he has, while focusing on not becoming comfortable where his feet currently stand.
“This feeling for me has been something special,” Ramos said before Chicago’s game against Minnesota Thursday. “To be here and [the White Sox] gave me the opportunity, and now I’m playing. I always say [it’s] like, ‘pretty good,’ and I feel pretty good about it.
“But you know, I don’t want to say I’m feeling comfortable because this game is way too hard. I just got like five games in the big leagues so, I just live in the moment and I keep playing the same way.”
Ramos said he’s leaned on advice from guys in the clubhouse like Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada and Martin Maldonado on how to approach life in the big leagues, saying “I’ll take it because they know about this more than me.”
It’s an approach Ramos applies to life outside of the game of baseball too.
Learning a second language
In an interview on Sunday, Ramos said he started learning English shortly after he started playing minor league ball in the Arizona League in 2019.
“I’d say the process to learn English is hard, but if you like it, it becomes kind of easy,” Ramos said. “That’s what happened to me, because in the beginning, it was hard. Just like the language, I wanted to learn and I think I was able to … because when you want to like to learn, you use [and] do everything it takes to learn.
“… It’s kind of difficult, but you can — If you put in work — You can speak really good.”
Two people, Erin Santana — The White Sox’s Manager of International Player Development and Education — and Grant Flick stepped in to help Ramos, who he credits with being able to speak the language as well as he does.
“Erin Santana … Grant Flick, those two. When I went to Arizona for the first time they were there. They were there all the time,” Ramos said. “We got into class, about an hour and 20 minutes [each] and we start with like, the basics.
“Then whenever they see you, you learn, then they give you more difficult stuff and signs and this and that. Thanks to them, I know English where I am at now.”
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