Washington Nationals Analysis: The Buffalo Is Off To A Wild Start In 2015
By Ricky Keeler
Normally, when you talk about the Washington Nationals offense, all the talk centers on Bryce Harper and Yunel Escobar. Now, that talk is rightfully so after Harper hit three home runs on Wednesday and Yunel Escobar went 5-for-5, including a game winning single in Monday’s game. While the Nationals may be struggling on offense, there is one name who is off to a great start that is getting a little bit overlooked.
That player is catcher Wilson Ramos. The question around Ramos has always been whether or not he can stay healthy for a full season. That being said, you have to give the 27-year old credit for getting off to a great start. He is hitting .319 with one home run and 11 RBI’s and is tied with Yunel Escobar for the team lead in hits with 29.
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Recently, Ramos is on a 11-game hitting streak, which is the longest hitting streak on the Nats this season. Over the course of the 11 games, he is 18-for-43 (.418) with three runs batted in. While he only has two extra base hits, one of the things Ramos does well for his position is get on base. His .337 on-base percentage is second among catchers in the National League behind Buster Posey of the Giants and sixth in the Majors.
One of the things I have also liked about Ramos’ game so far is his ability to throw runners out. He has caught about 38% of runners trying to steal, which is second behind Posey and fifth in all of baseball. When you watch the two Marlins series, Ramos has been able to get the ball quickly to second, especially with Dee Gordon roaming the bases, trying to steal bases.
Last season, Ramos hit .267 with 11 home runs and 47 RBI’s in 88 games and threw out almost 38% of base runners trying to steal, which was the highest total of his career. It has always been wondered how Ramos would do with his power at the position if he played in 100+ games, something that he only did in 2011.
With Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth yet to break out on offense, Ramos getting on base out of either the fifth or sixth spot in the order is crucial right now to help the guys in the bottom of that lineup, such as Danny Espinosa or Ian Desmond on some occasions. While Ramos’ hitting streak will eventually end, it is good to see that his play both on offense and fielding his position defensively is off to a great start.