Ramón Laureano -- General News

Ramón Laureano took an unconventional path to MLB after scouts in his native Dominican Republic did not view his talent as exceptional enough to sign as an amateur player. Dissatisfied with the underwhelming scouting reports, Laureano decided to move to the United States and pursue a high school baseball opportunity on a scholarship. He attended Northeast Oklahoma A&M College after paying for his own airfare, where he developed the work ethic that defines his professional career today. Laureano acknowledged that while he threw hard, scouts did not find him "eye-popping" in other areas. The Athletics acquired him in 2017 via trade with the Houston Astros, and manager Bob Melvin had high expectations for the center fielder. Today, Laureano is known for his dedication, consistently being the first to arrive and last to leave the facility, working on drills and conditioning independently. His commitment to improvement extends beyond the field—he regularly texts Melvin during the offseason with questions about how to enhance his game, demonstrating the self-directed learning approach that compensated for his lack of early recognition as a prospect.

Ramon Laureano is a 30-year-old right-handed outfielder who has accumulated 2548 career at-bats with a .253 batting average, .323 on-base percentage, .445 slugging percentage, and 106 home runs across his MLB career. Originally drafted in the 16th round by the Houston Astros in 2014, Laureano made his major league debut on August 3, 2018, and was initially ranked as a top prospect for the Astros (#13 in 2017) and Oakland Athletics (#29 in 2018). Standing 5'11" and weighing 203 pounds, the Santo Domingo native attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Laureano's career has been marked by multiple injuries and frequent transactions, including stints with Oakland, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Baltimore. His injury history includes a strained left groin, right hand fracture, left oblique muscle strain, and left ankle sprain. Most recently, he was traded from Baltimore to the San Diego Padres in a multi-player deal that sent Laureano and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn plus cash in exchange for left-handed pitcher Boston Bateman, right-handed pitchers Tyson Neighbors and Tanner Smith, and infielders Brandon Butterworth and Cobb Hight.