San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos Dishes on Unique Approach at Plate

San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos has a different approach at the plate than most power hitters in baseball.

Aug 6, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Heliot Ramos (17) gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

After struggling in his first two stints as a major leaguer, San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos has put things together in 2024. He was excellent in the first half, earning a spot on the All-Star team despite not making his season debut until May 8th against the Colorado Rockies.

Carrying that positive momentum over into the second half proved to be difficult for Ramos at the start. Through games on August 5th, he saw one of the largest drop-offs in the majors in OPS compared to his first-half numbers.

Unfortunately for the Giants, another one of their key young players, catcher Patrick Bailey, was also going through a slump. Looking for their All-Star outfielder to reset, Bob Melvin sat him down for two games.

Ramos did not play on August 4th against the Cincinnati Reds or August 5th against the Washington Nationals. The move looks to have worked as Ramos has performed more like the first-half version of himself.

In the three games since sitting, Ramos has gone 5-for-15 at the plate with two home runs. Despite getting a hit in all three games, strikeouts remain a bit of a concern, as he was punched out four times.

His strikeout percentage is above league average, which is surprising given his approach at the plate. Unlike most power hitters, Ramos is not afraid to use the opposite field. Looking to pull the ball more is when he gets in trouble at the plate.

“When I get too far out in front I get disconnected, and I start chasing,” Ramos said late last month.

Could that have played a part in his struggles coming out of the All-Star break? It is certainly possible, as getting away from his game plan of hitting the opposite field would harm his statistics.

How good is Ramos when it comes to hitting to right field? As shared by Eno Sarris of The Athletic, he is elite, hitting the opposite field for legitimate power as well.

On fly balls to the opposite field, Ramos is slugging .583, which is near a top-10 percentile outcome this season. Fly balls in the air have produced a .290 slugging percentage around baseball this season.

When pulling the ball, the slugging percentage is 1.408. For Ramos, pulling the ball results in a slugging of 2.500, as he has hit five home runs on the eight flyballs he has pulled. But, don’t expect a change in philosophy any time soon.

“I still like to let it travel,” said the large Giant. “I know I can hit it oppo and still hit a double or hit a homer.”

Keeping his strikeouts down is also key to his success at the plate. Not focusing on trying to launch pulled flyballs plays into that performance. Once opposing pitchers adjust and try forcing him to pull the ball more, they are going to be met with even better power numbers.