Q&A with Giants' No. 4 prospect OF Heliot Ramos

Sacramento River Cats outfielder Heliot Ramos is one of the most exciting youngsters in baseball. The Giants’ first round pick (19th overall) in 2017 out of Leadership Christian Academy (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico), currently ranks 82nd on MLB Pipeline, and is the Giants’ No. 4 prospect.

The 22-year-old Ramos stopped by to chat with the voice of the Sacramento River Cats Johnny Doskow about his older brother Henry making his MLB debut for Arizona, his first season at Triple-A, and the work-ethic instilled by his family.

Q&A

JD: First, I want to talk about your brother. I was pretty happy when I got the news. He’s paid his dues in the Minor Leagues and worked hard. As a younger brother, what was it like when you heard he was promoted to the Major Leagues?

HR: I’ve always looked up to him. He became a professional when I was 10, so he was always someone I looked up to. I was always going everywhere with him and working out with him all the time. I saw the process of what he’s been going through. I am super happy. I was more happy than anything in the world. The Giants could call me up today, and I think I was more happy for him. I feel really good. It was exciting to see he finally reached his goal.

JD: That’s fantastic. What did he say to you? What did he tell you?

HR: He called me when my game was over. I was on my way back to the hotel and he was like “Hey bro, they called me up.” and I was like “What? You’re playing!” We just started talking. Everybody was happy. My mom called me right after that. I talked to my mom and my dad too. They were happy. They were speechless. They couldn’t describe what they were feeling.

JD: He’s taught you so much about life and the game, and now I think it’s great he got the call-up before you did because he’s going to be able to tell you about things a little bit. I know you’ve heard about the Big Leagues from a few people, but to hear it from your brother, that will mean even more.

HR: It’s different. He talked to me and said the treatment they gave him, the way they talked to him, was different. It was cool. He loved it.

JD: What’s it like going from Double-A to Triple-A? What have you noticed that’s different about the pitchers and the game itself?

HR: Here they throw more slow pitches, more breaking balls, and stuff like that. It’s not crazy hard to adjust, but it’s hard to keep the body the same every day. You have to be on top of your routine and everything. You have to have your body in a good position where you can play. That’s the biggest adjustment, honestly.

JD: You work hard. That work ethic, you got that from your brother, but you got that from your parents too. Where did it come from?

HR: It’s a mix of everything. My mom and my dad have always worked hard, since I was little, in their jobs and taking us where we were supposed to be: baseball games, school, and whatever. They always worked hard so we could be good. We always wanted to work hard for them, but mostly that’s something they taught us when we were growing up. The routine and all that stuff, they put that in our head. When my brother got drafted, he started working out and doing his thing, and it was a different type of work. He showed me that world and I loved it.

JD: When you were 10-years-old and you saw your brother play pro ball, did that motivate you? Was that something you wanted to do?

HR: It did, but at the same time I was already like “I want to play baseball.” That was the main thing in my head. I want to do it forever. That was my thought process. When I was 16/17 ... that was my year. They started seeing me and noticing me. I was like “Oh I’ve got a pretty good chance. Let’s keep working. Let’s keep doing it.”

JD: Going to Big League Spring Training this year, what was that like to go and be around those guys?

HR: Super cool. I got to meet Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, all those guys. They’re regular people, but at the same time they are legends. They’re really good baseball players. Look at what Crawford and Posey are doing right now. It’s super cool to watch them play and be around them.

JD: As far as this clubhouse, there’s a great bunch of guys in the River Cats’ clubhouse too.

HR: Chadwick Tromp, Jason Krizan, Jaylin Davis, Mike Tauchman, and all those guys ... They’re really good guys. They are super serious about their jobs. They know their business. They know why they’re here and they know what they’re playing baseball for.

JD: I remember when I first met you, and I said “What’s it been like?” and you said “I realize it’s a long season. It’s a hard game. I respect the game.” That’s what I liked about you right away, is the fact that you said “Look, it’s not an easy game. I’ve got to work at it.” You understand that it’s not easy.

HR: Yeah, in this game, you’ve got to go day by day. That’s the hard part. That’s what I am working on. Consistency.

JD: We wish you the best. I appreciate the visit. I am happy for Henry and we’ll be happy for you when you get that call.

HR: Thank you.