Rum Bunter Staff Pittsburgh Pirates Mock Draft: Noah Wright

No. 140 – RHP Luis Ramirez

With the 140th overall pick and the Pirates’ fifth-round selection, the team should go with another college arm. One guy who may end up around here is Long Beach State right-hander Luis Ramirez. There’s a bit of risk with Ramirez, but not a substantial amount that should turn the Pirates away. However, it might be enough to get him at no. 140.

Ramirez only threw 33 innings this year but was dominant when he pitched. He had just a 2.14 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. He didn’t allow a single home run but struck out 25.9% of batters faced. His 7.4% walk rate was also quite solid, which led to a 3.25 K:BB ratio. His strikeout and walk rates might only be slightly above average, but Ramirez knows how to get ground balls.

Ramirez’s sinking fastball generates a ton of ground balls. His ground ball rate was well over 60%, according to MLB Pipeline. He only throws around 92-94 MPH, though, with the sink he puts on it, it’s a good offering. He also improved his slider, which comes in around 79-80 MPH. His change-up is another pitch he’s shown progress with. There’s nothing here overly powerful, but everything plays well.

Ramirez has only thrown 125.1 innings throughout his college career, which started in 2020. The injury concerns are there, but there’s been no major damage to his arm. He might have gone late third-round/early fourth-round had it not been for those concerns.