RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target ~230
CURRENT ADP: 253
ANALYSIS: Wilson Ramos had one of the better 2016 seasons for a catcher, as he hit .307/.354/.496 with 22 bombs in a breakout campaign. He also tore his ACL, preventing him from playing until May 2017 at the earliest. He seems to be recovering nicely from the knee injury by all accounts, and Tampa intends to use him as a DH while he gets healthy enough to go back behind the plate.
The DH thing is huge. Most catchers pale in comparison to other positions because the frequent days off limit their plate appearances and counting stats, but Ramos may be able to outperform his position mates just by batting more often. Using Ramos and somebody else in April could give you more PAs from your catcher than everyone who did not draft Buster Posey or Jonathan Lucroy.
Those PAs should be a plus from a batting average perspective. His .327 BABIP last year may seem high, but between Ramos' low FB% (25.3%) and sustainable 2016 LD% (20.4%), he projects as a plus-BABIP guy moving forward. Ramos' eye also improved last year, as a career best 30.2% O-Swing% helped to produce an excellent 15.1% K%. The low FB% and inflated HR/FB (21.4%) bring into question his ability to repeat in the power department, but a catcher who can help with anything toward the end of the draft is welcome.
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