Harold Andrés Ramírez Lemus (born September 6, 1994) is a Colombian professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...

and

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

for the

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (English: Two Laredos Owls), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (English: Nuevo Laredo Owls), are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The Tecolotes are a binational baseball team, spli ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

, and

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

. Ramírez also represents the Colombian national team.

Professional career

Pittsburgh Pirates

Ramírez signed with the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

as an international free agent in July 2011. He made his professional debut in 2012 with the Rookie-level

Gulf Coast Pirates The Florida Complex League Pirates are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Pirates. The team plays its hom ...

. In 39 games, Ramírez batted .259 with one home run and 12 RBI. In 2013, he played for the Short Season-A

Jamestown Jammers The Jamestown Jammers were a minor league baseball team based in Jamestown, New York from 1994 until 2014. The team was the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and played in the New York–Penn League. The team play ...

, and hit .285 with five home runs, 40 RBI, and 23

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...

s in 71 games played. In 2014, Ramírez was promoted to the Class-A

West Virginia Power The Charleston Dirty Birds are an United States, American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a MLB Partner League, partner league ...

, where he appeared in 49 games and batted .309 with one home run and 24 RBI. He also set the team record for longest hitting streak. Ramírez continued to make his way through the Pirates minor league system, playing the entire 2015 season with the Advanced-A

Bradenton Marauders The Bradenton Marauders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Bradenton, Florida, and play their home games at LECOM Park, which also serves as the ...

. In 80 games, he would record a .337 batting average, four home runs, 47 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. The Pirates added him to their 40-man roster after the 2015 season. In the offseason, Ramírez played 15 games with the

Venados de Mazatlán Venados de Mazatlán () are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League based in Mazatlan, Sinaloa. History In February 1958, Venados participated in an international tournament, dubbed the Pan-American Series, against two other c ...

of the

Mexican Pacific League The Mexican Pacific League (, or LMP), also known as the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons, is a professional baseball Winter league baseball, winter league based in Northwestern Mexico. The league comprises 10 teams. It wa ...

, and hit .245 with one home run and 5 RBI against pitchers that were, on average, over eight years older than he was. In his first season with the Double-A

Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of ...

, he was selected to play in the 2016 Eastern League All-Star Game. He had been batting .300/.355/.401 in 70 games at the time of his selection.

Toronto Blue Jays

On August 1, 2016, the Pirates traded Ramírez, along with

Francisco Liriano Francisco Liriano Casillas (born October 26, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, ...

and Reese McGuire, to the Blue Jays for Drew Hutchison. Ramírez was optioned to the Double-A

New Hampshire Fisher Cats The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League, is the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Ja ...

. He would play in just one game for New Hampshire before being placed on the disabled list, where he finished 2016. In 99 total games, Ramírez hit .311 with two home runs and 50 RBI. Ramírez appeared in 121 games for New Hampshire in 2017, and batted .266 with a career-high six home runs and 53 RBI. On November 20, 2017, he was outrighted off the 40-man roster. Ramírez spent 2018 with the Fisher Cats, appearing in 120 games and hitting .320 with 11 home runs and 70 RBI. He elected free agency on November 2, 2018.

Miami Marlins

On November 26, 2018, Ramírez signed a minor-league contract with the

. He began 2019 with the

New Orleans Baby Cakes The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They were located in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, ...

. On May 11, his contract was selected and he was called up to the major league roster. He made his debut that night versus the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

, hitting a single off

Edwin Diaz The name Edwin means "wealth-friend". It comes from (wealth, good fortune) and (friend). Thus the Old English form is Ēadwine, a name widely attested in early medieval England. Edwina is the feminine form of the name. Notable people and char ...

for his first MLB hit. Ramírez reached base safely in 18 of his first 19 MLB games and made starts at all three outfield positions during his rookie season. He led the team with three walk-off plays, including walk-off home runs on August 1 and 29. Ramírez only had 10 at-bats for Miami in 2020, going 2 for 10 with two singles, two strikeouts and walk. On February 17, 2021, Ramírez was designated for assignment following the acquisition of John Curtiss. After the 2020 season, Ramírez joined the

Caimanes de Barranquilla The Caimanes de Barranquilla are a baseball team in the Colombian Professional Baseball League. They have participated in the league since the 1984–85 season, playing in the 12,000-capacity Estadio Édgar Rentería in Barranquilla. Caimanes a ...

in the

Colombian Professional Baseball League The Colombian Professional Baseball League ( or LPB), is a professional baseball league based in Colombia. It is a five-team winter league that plays during the Major League Baseball offseason. In the past, the league's champion has taken part in ...

. With Caimanes, his hometown team, he competed in the

2021 Caribbean Series The 2021 Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) was the 63rd edition of the international competition featuring the champions of the Colombian Professional Baseball League, Dominican Professional Baseball League, Mexican Pacific League, Panamanian ...

, batting .238/.238/.333 with two doubles in 21 plate appearances.

Cleveland Indians

Ramírez was claimed off waivers by the

on February 24, 2021. Over 99 games, Ramírez batted .268/.305/.398 with 7 home runs and 41 RBIs. He was designated for assignment by the newly-renamed Cleveland Guardians on November 19, 2021. Ramírez rejoined Caimanes de Barranquilla in 2021, which again represented Colombia in the 2022 Caribbean Series. Caimanes defeated the Dominican team,

Gigantes del Cibao The Gigantes del Cibao (English language, English: Cibao Giants) are a baseball team that plays in the Dominican Winter League. The team was founded in 1996 as ''Gigantes del Noroeste ''then with a change of ownership the name was changed severa ...

, for the 2022 title, marking the first time a Colombian team won the tournament; Ramírez and the rest of his teammates were welcomed to the

presidential palace A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...

by Colombian President

Iván Duque Iván Duque Márquez (; born 1 August 1976) is a Colombian politician and lawyer who served as the president of Colombia from 2018 to 2022. He was elected as the candidate from the Democratic Centre Party in the 2018 Colombian presidential ...

. During the campaign, Ramírez slashed .333/.355/.400 with two doubles and three RBI.

Tampa Bay Rays

Ramírez was traded to the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

on November 22, 2021, in exchange for cash considerations. On March 25, 2022, Ramírez was traded to the

in exchange for

Esteban Quiroz Jesús Esteban Quiroz Ortiz (born February 17, 1992) is a Mexican professional baseball infielder for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs. He plays on the ...

. For much of the 2022 season, he was a contender for the batting title in the American League. Ramírez was hitting .329 through July 17, when a pitch from the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

’

Jordan Lyles Jordan Horton Lyles (born October 19, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a Free agency (Major League Baseball), free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies, S ...

fractured his right thumb and caused him to miss four weeks. He ended the season with a slash line of .300/.343/.404, leading the team in batting average, and his 58 RBI for the Rays were second only to

Randy Arozarena Randy Lia Arozarena González (born February 28, 1995) is a Cuban-born Mexican professional baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay R ...

. Ramírez's salary for the 2023 season was determined by the arbitration process to be $2.2 million. Over 122 games, he slashed .313/.353/.460 with a 125 OPS+. During the offseason, he returned to Colombia with the Caimanes de Barranquilla and also played for the Venezuelan league champion

Tiburones de La Guaira The Tiburones de La Guaira () are a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP). Though they nominally represent La Guaira (playing at the Estadio Jorge Luis García Carneiro), they also play home games at the Estadio Un ...

. Ramírez played in 48 games for the Rays in 2024, hitting .268/.284/.305 with one home run, 13 RBI, and five stolen bases. On June 7, Ramírez was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay. He was released by the Rays on June 13.

Washington Nationals

On June 15, 2024, Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the

. In 7 games for the Triple–A

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...

, he went 9–for–24 (.375) with 4 RBI. On June 24, the Nationals selected Ramírez's contract, adding him to the active roster. In 25 games for the Nationals, he hit .243/.273/.365 with one home run and 16 RBI. Ramírez was designated for assignment by the Nationals on August 13. He was released by the Nationals organization on the next day.

Atlanta Braves

On August 23, 2024, Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

organization. In 22 appearances for the Triple-A

Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia ...

, he batted .231/.278/.275 with nine RBI and two stolen bases. Ramírez elected free agency following the season on November 4.

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

On February 24, 2025, Ramírez signed with the

of the

International career

Ramírez represents

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

in international competition. In the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball tournament and the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It began on March 8, 2023, and ran until March 21. It was originally scheduled to take place in ...

, he slashed .133/.188/.133, with two hits and a walk over 16 plate appearances. At the 2026 World Baseball Classic qualifiers, held in March 2025 in Tucson, Arizona, Ramírez registered three hits in 13 at-bats, hitting .231 with two RBI as Colombia requalified to the WBC undefeated.

Personal life

Ramírez has two sons: Elian, born in October 2016, and Ethan, born in 2020. They live with his ex-wife, Adriana, in Miami. Elian has

autism spectrum disorder Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...

, inspiring Ramírez to dye his hair blue, the color of autism awareness. Ramírez also has a tattoo on his hand in honor of his son with a puzzle piece (a symbol of the autistic community) and a message that reads "It's okay to be different."

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramirez, Harold 1994 births Living people Altoona Curve players Baseball players at the 2015 Pan American Games Bradenton Marauders players Caimanes de Barranquilla players Cleveland Indians players Colombian expatriate baseball players in Mexico Colombian expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Colombian expatriate baseball players in the United States Durham Bulls players Gulf Coast Pirates players Gwinnett Stripers players Jamestown Jammers players Leones del Caracas players Major League Baseball designated hitters Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball players from Colombia Miami Marlins players New Hampshire Fisher Cats players New Orleans Baby Cakes players Rochester Red Wings players Baseball players from Cartagena, Colombia Tampa Bay Rays players Venados de Mazatlán players Washington Nationals players West Virginia Power players 2023 World Baseball Classic players