Cubs' Pedro Ramirez: Swats first major-league homer
Rotowire
Ramirez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a double in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Giants.
Ramirez's fifth-inning blast was the first homer of his big-league career. The 22-year-old infielder was called up May 22 but has struggled to find consistent playing time. Through 12 games, he's hitting .250 with a .752 OPS, one homer, two RBI, three runs scored, two doubles and no stolen bases over 31 plate appearances. Prior to his call-up, he hit .312 with a .942 OPS, nine long balls, 40 RBI and 34 runs scored over 43 games with Triple-A Iowa, so there's some all-around appeal here if he can find a more regular role.
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Cubs' Pedro Ramirez: Promotion could be coming
Rotowire
Ramirez was spotted in the Cubs' clubhouse Friday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
There's no word on whether Ramirez will be added to the active roster or is on the taxi squad, but the Cubs should provide clarity soon. Ramirez has certainly done enough at Triple-A Iowa to earn a promotion, slashing .312/.395/.547 with nine home runs and 19 stolen bases in 43 games this season. The 22-year-old primarily plays second and third base, though he has a bit of experience at shortstop and in left field, as well.
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Cubs' Pedro Ramirez: On fire at Triple-A
Rotowire
Ramirez is hitting .300 with three home runs, three steals and a 13.6 percent strikeout rate in 10 games for Triple-A Iowa.
The athletic switch hitter has always made contact at a strong clip and has typically been better than league average while being a little young for his levels, but this is a notable power breakout in the early going. Ramirez hit eight home runs in 129 games last year while logging a 49 percent groundball rate, and while he's hitting for more power this year, his 51.5 percent groundball rate is still too high. The versatile infielder has split time between third base (six starts) and second base (three starts).
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Cubs' Pedro Ramirez: Protected from Rule 5 Draft
Rotowire
The Cubs selected Ramirez's contract from Double-A Knoxville on Tuesday.
Ramirez is unlikely to compete for a big-league job in spring training, given that he has never played at Triple-A. However, the 21-year-old switch hitter is a good athlete capable of playing multiple infield positions. Ramirez slashed .280/.346/.386 with eight home runs, 28 steals and a 15.1 percent strikeout rate in 129 games at Double-A in 2025, good for a 118 wRC+.
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Cubs' Pedro Ramirez: Strong showing at Double-A
Rotowire
Ramirez is hitting .278 with eight home runs, 28 steals and a 15.2 percent strikeout rate in 127 games for Double-A Knoxville.
The switch-hitting infielder has split the year between second and third base for the Smokies, and while he hasn't hit for much power (.108 ISO, .386 SLG), Ramirez has still been 17 percent better than the average Southern League hitter while being the fifth-youngest qualified hitter in the league. He cut his groundball rate from 53.8 percent at High-A last year to 48.9 percent this year at Double-A, but that rate is still too high if Ramirez is to get the most out of his raw power. Ramirez may begin his big-league career as a reserve infielder, but his speed and contact skill make him worth tracking in dynasty leagues.
