One Man’s Trash: You Shall Know And Respect The Man Named Laureano

Respect has always been an interesting concept for me. As a Korean American, I was brought up to always respect my elders and people in positions of authority. In high school, though, I would see older kids punking the younger ones under the guise of the “system.” That’s when it all broke down for me, and I decided that respect is earned, not automatically given. Now, as a relatively old man with two kids, the pendulum has moved back towards the middle because I now understand that age and experience are often harbingers of wisdom, but the thing that always trips me out is that I can both dislike and respect a thing or person at the same time, which brings me to Ramon Laureano. What a segue!! Laureano has flashed and had moments of brilliance in his career, but he’s also done some boneheaded things and looked to be on the precipice of entering the Mariana Trench a few years back. Well, he’s balling out to start this season. Is it real?

Ramon Laureano is 31 years old, 5-foot-9, 203 pounds, and bats from the right side. He was selected by the Houston Astros in the 16th round of the 2014 MLB draft. After four minor league seasons, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics, where he became the first Athletics player to hit a walk-off RBI for his first MLB hit. He also became the first A’s player to have two multi-homer games in his first 30 MLB games. Respect!

In 2019, Ramon Laureano played 123 games and racked up 481 plate appearances for the Athletics, slashing .288/.340/.521 with 24 home runs, 79 runs, 67 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. The walk rate was 5.6%, the strikeout rate was 25.6%, and the ISO was .233. Respect!

Then he tested positive for a PED and was suspended for 80 games. He also underwent core surgery, and the decline commenced.

Laureano was designated for assignment by Oakland and then claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Guardians. After struggling, he was released and then signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves, where he played for one season and became a free agent. Ramon Laureano then played a season in the Dominican Professional Baseball League before signing a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He was then traded to the San Diego Padres six months later. Whew, what a ride.

Through 16 games and 66 plate appearances this season, the slash is .283/.348/.567 with four home runs, 11 runs, 11 RBI, and three stolen bases. The walk rate is 7.6%, strikeout rate is 21.2%, and the ISO is .283! The BABIP is .310, so the batting average looks legit.

The average exit velocity of 89.3 mph is right at career norms. The 12.4 degree launch angle is slightly lower than the career 13.3 degree mark, but within the normal range. The 15.2% barrel rate and 50% hard hit rate are both career-highs! The bat speed of 72.1 mph has remained the same over the last three seasons. Nothing out of the ordinary for the batted ball data.

The plate discipline numbers do show more aggression. The chase rate is 31.6% is a career-high, as is the 76.6% swing rate in the strike zone. The career average is 66%.

Last season, in 488 plate appearances between two teams, Ramon Laureano slashed .281/.342/.512 with 24 home runs, 72 runs, 76 RBI, and seven stolen bases. The walk rate was 7.2%, the strikeout rate was 24.4%, and the ISO was .231. This gives me confidence that this hot start is legit.

Looking at the Statcast data, the sprint speed of 28.2 feet per second is in the 84th percentile, but the x-stats are all robust – xwOBA (87th), xBA (82nd), and xSLG (92nd).

After starting the season batting fifth to seventh in the lineup, Laureano has been in the leadoff spot for eight games. Over that span, he’s racked up two doubles, a triple, two home runs, scored eight times, driving in six, and stolen two bases. The ISO is .294 with a BABIP of .304. Laureano is now hitting in front of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts.

Power. Speed. Lineup Slot. Performance History. There shall be no more disrespecting Ramon Laureano.