Jose Ramos gave the Mets something to think about after a rough stretch at Double-A Binghamton pushed him up to Triple-A.
The offseason free agent signing had hit just .218 with 123 strikeouts in 91 games before New York made the move, and his early-season profile still looked like what he’s been for much of his career: plenty of power, plenty of swing-and-miss. But the jump didn’t slow him down. In 32 games with Syracuse, Ramos hit .294 with 4 home runs and 27 strikeouts, good for an .866 OPS.
That kind of finish stands out for a player whose career OPS entering the level sat at .779. More important for Ramos, it came with a noticeable drop in strikeouts, something that has usually been part of the package for the outfielder.
Ramos is turning 26 on January 1, and his path has already taken a few odd turns. His numbers at Double-A and Triple-A tell a strange story: a .226 batting average and .715 OPS in Double-A, but a .295 batting average and .895 OPS in Triple-A. Whether that split comes down to the parks, the pitching, or just a better fit in Syracuse, the Mets at least got a useful sample after giving him the chance.
He isn’t being sold as a future centerpiece. The more realistic case is simpler: a right-handed power bat who can handle center field and give a roster some depth.
That matters, especially with all three of the Mets’ projected outfielders swinging left-handed. Ramos could fit as a fourth or fifth outfielder if he keeps showing something at the plate.
Defense and speed are not what define him, and he’s not being framed as a Tyrone Taylor replacement or a direct match for Nick Morabito. He brings a different skill set.
His prospect stock once looked stronger in the Dodgers system, where he ranked 23rd in 2023 before slipping to 29th in 2024. Back in 2023, he was coming off a 25-homer, 97-RBI season with a .249 average.
The strikeout issue remains the big hurdle. If Ramos is going to carve out a big league role, it probably starts there.
He also showed some eye-catching reverse splits in 2026, hitting only .162/.307/.238 against lefties but posting a much better .260/.358/.467 line against righties across Double-A and Triple-A. That was different from the year before, when he had a .712 OPS against righties and .927 against lefties.
Players like Ramos may not change a franchise, but they can still matter. After the Mets showed patience with him, there’s little reason not to give him more rope and see whether what he did in Syracuse in 2026 was for real.
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