Hanley Ramirez should have no more doubters

Hanley Ramirez’s tenure in Boston has been a mixed bag. But if he continues on his current pace, this season should end the arguments.

It’s no secret that the Hanley Ramirez era for the Boston Red Sox has been met with mixed reactions from fans. He came back to the Red Sox in free agency before the 2015 season (he spent his minor league days in the Red Sox system), and since then, his tenure has resembled somewhat of a roller coaster, marred with injuries and inconsistency.

In 2018, however, Ramirez vowed to get back on track and prove his worth to this team by hitting 30 homers and stealing 30 bases. He’s certainly capable of belting 30 homers (he’s done it twice before), but 30 stolen bases is definitely a long shot seeing as how he’s not as young and fast as he once was. At least his mind is in the right place.

Why exactly has Ramirez become somewhat polarizing in Boston? Well, the Sox signed him as a free agent before the 2015 season hoping to add another big bat to the lineup alongside an aging David Ortiz. That first year was exceptionally rough for Ramirez, and not only because he failed miserably at making the transition from the infield to left field (his defensive rating was the worst in the American League that year). He struggled with injuries, only played in 105 games, and only notched 53 RBI. Ramirez did belt 19 homers, but for his standards, that was a pretty low number.

Ramirez’s 2016 campaign was much better than 2015, as he moved back to the infield and took over at first base, which has turned out to be a million times better for him than left field. He played in 147 games, drove home 111 runs and hit 30 homers. Even the most hardcore Sox fans couldn’t ask for much more than that.

His numbers took a slide in 2017, though. In just 133 games, Ramirez hit 23 homers, and took a HUGE drop in RBIs with only 62. His batting average for the season was a mere .242, which was the lowest of his career.

That was when he decided that 2018 was going to be different. He set the goal for himself to go 30-30, and while he might not reach that goal – seeing as how it is pretty lofty – the most important thing is that he’s playing good baseball again. One month into the season, he’s missed very few games, and is hitting .300 with an on-base percentage of .376.

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Ramirez has been one of the most reliable hitters at the plate for the Sox, which is why first-year manager Alex Cora often bats him in the three-hole or in the clean-up spot. He’s at three homers right now, so unless he goes on a massive rampage, he probably won’t reach 30. And the same can be said for the stolen bases (also currently at three). But ultimately, he doesn’t need to go 30-30 to have a great season. That was just a personal goal for him as a form of motivation. All he needs to do is keep his batting average up and keep driving in runs. Everything else will take care of itself.

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One month into the season, Ramirez has lived up to the expectations. There is still plenty of baseball left, seeing as how it’s only early May. But Ramirez is off to a sensational start, and it’s great to see for Red Sox fans. He might not go 30-30, but he’s playing really good baseball and helping the Red Sox win games.

All in all, Ramirez is a big reason why the Red Sox have the best record in baseball right now. Anybody that doubted him coming into the 2018 season has proven wrong to this point.