By Jordan Long
The Washington Nationals are 92-66 and have already won the National League East. They will face the L.A. Dodgers in the National League Division Series. The Nationals will be without All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos who tore his ACL on Monday in a game against the Diamondbacks. Ramos was trying to catch a ball from first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and he landed on the dirt next to home plate. He collapsed and after spending a few minutes on the ground, got up and didn’t put any weight on his right leg. He is now out the rest of the year.
Ramos is the starting catcher for the Washington Nationals, appearing in 131 games. Not only does he call the pitches and the location, Ramos is a decent hitter. His average is .307 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI’s. His on-base percentage is an impressive .354. When Ramos is at the plate he can usually get on base. If he makes contact and his teammates are on base, Ramos will drive them in.
Behind the plate, Ramos protects the ball. He has only allowed 10 passed balls. That means even if the pitches bounce to him, he blocks them so that runners on base can’t advance. Ramos’ fielding percentage is a terrific .997.
The Nationals will miss his play. Ramos is tough to replace. The Nationals have Jose Lobaton and Pedro Severino who should see time in the lineup. Lobaton is not the same player as Ramos. Lobaton played in 37 games. He doesn’t have the power to hit home runs or to bring runners in. Lobaton is batting .232 with 3 home runs and 6 RBI’s. When he catches he is about the same defensive player that Romos is.
Severino is the least experienced between the two, suiting up in 14 games. Severino has 25 plate appearances with 2 home run and 4 RBI’s. He has only played 6 games as the catcher. If the Nationals want a more veteran player, Lobaton is the answer. Either way they are not Ramos .
The Nationals must use these last three games of the season to decide who should start game one of the National League Division Series as the catcher. If one of them struggles during the playoffs in the first two games, they can always switch. I just hope that their play behind the plate won’t be the reason why they didn’t advance far in the playoffs.
How do you think the Washington Nationals will do without Wilson Ramos?
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