© Orlando Ramirez | 2019 Mar 10
There’s high praise, and then there’s what Richmond Flying Squirrels Fundamentals Coach Gary Davenport told Bill Laskey this weekend about Giants prospect Heliot Ramos.
“I might be reaching a little bit with this, but I tell you what, he really reminds me of a young Willie Mays when he was playing with the Giants back in the 60s,” Davenport said Sunday to Laskey on KNBR. “I was watching him, and he does all those things. He’s got that kind of energy. He’s got that happy-go-lucky attitude. He can run, he can throw, he’s got power.”
That might be an extreme comparison from Davenport, but it’s also a reminder of how excited people in the Giants organization are about Ramos, who turned more than a few heads in Arizona this spring while putting up insane numbers (.410/.425/.718 and three homers in 39 at-bats). He’s followed that up nicely this season at Double-A Richmond, posting a .287/.369/.435 slash line in a league known for its pitching.
Ramos, 21, is the Giants’ No. 3 prospect on most lists behind Marco Luciano and Joey Bart, but Davenport believes the five tool outfielder should be ranked higher than that.
“He can make adjustments. I mean, the intelligence side of the game, I just think he just needs a little more experience,” Davenport said. “Because he is so fast and he is so quick, that sometimes the league will catch up to some of that stuff. But he’s getting smarter, and that’s why we have minor leagues.
“He got to be our top prospect in the organization. You’re gonna be seeing a lot of Ramos in the future, that’s for sure.”
Listen to the full interview below.