Ramón Laureano -- Performance Analysis
Performance Analysis sources for Ramón Laureano of the San Diego Padres
Ramón Laureano, a 24-year-old center fielder acquired by Oakland in the 2017-18 offseason from Houston, became a surprising contributor after his August 2018 MLB debut. In limited action (48 games), he posted a .288 average with a 129 wRC+, including 5 home runs and 7 stolen bases while demonstrating elite defensive ability with 9 outfield assists. The A's won 97 games and captured a Wild Card spot partly on the strength of his late-season impact.
Entering 2019, Laureano was expected to play a significant role after reportedly adding muscle mass in the offseason. However, concerns emerged during spring training despite an elite .945 OPS. He struck out in 35.9% of his plate appearances (14 K in 39 PA), a troubling development given his already elevated 28.4% strikeout rate as a rookie. This strikeout tendency became more pronounced as he added power to his swing.
Laureano's season start in Japan proved difficult. In his first game leading off against Marco Gonzales, he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. After moving to the eighth spot in the lineup, he collected his first two hits but added two more strikeouts. The early weeks of the season continued to be challenging for the young outfielder as he adjusted to major league pitching.