Introduction
Alejandro Ramos Jr. (born September 20, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Colorado Rockies.
Professional career
Ramos attended Estacado High School in Lubbock, Texas. He then enrolled at Texas Tech University, where he played college baseball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. In 2008, Ramos underwent Tommy John surgery.
Miami Marlins
The Florida Marlins selected Ramos in the 21st round, with the 638th overall selection, of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. Ramos was called up to the majors for the first time on September 4, 2012. In 2014, Ramos had a 7-0 win-loss record with a 2.11 earned run average. Ramos became the Marlins' closing pitcher in 2015, due to the struggles of Steve Cishek. In 2016, Ramos successfully converted his first 24 save opportunities, setting a franchise record. He was named to appear in the 2016 MLB All-Star Game.
Ramos and the Marlins agreed on a $6.55 million salary for the 2017 season.
New York Mets
The New York Mets acquired Ramos from the Marlins in exchange for minor leaguers Merandy González and Ricardo Cespedes on July 28, 2017. In May 2018, Ramos suffered a shoulder strain that would keep him out for the rest of the season. He became a free agent on October 29, 2018.
Los Angeles Dodgers
In July 2020, Ramos announced he would be attempting a comeback to the major leagues. On July 2, Ramos signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He was released on August 28 without appearing in a game.
Chicago Cubs
On August 30, 2020, Ramos signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs organization. He was released by the organization on September 3, 2020.
Colorado Rockies
On September 4, 2020, Ramos signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies organization. On September 19, Ramos was selected to the major league roster, and made his first appearance in the majors since May 2018. He pitched in 3 games for Colorado, allowing 1 run in 2+2⁄3 innings.
Los Angeles Angels
On March 24, 2021, Ramos signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels organization. On September 23, 2021, Ramos' contract was selected by the Angels.
Personal life
A.J. Ramos is an ambassador for Up2Us Sports, a national non-profit organization dedicated to supporting underserved youth by providing them with coaches trained in positive youth development. He is of Mexican American descent.