Son Of Red Sox Legend Manny Ramirez Ready For WBC Spotlight

Boston Red Sox followers might acknowledge a United States opponent to begin the World Baseball Classic.

Lucas Ramirez will characterize Brazil within the WBC, beginning with a matchup in opposition to Team USA on Friday evening. The Los Angeles Angels outfielder will don No. 24, which Manny Ramirez wore all through his legendary profession with the Boston Red Sox.

While the Red Sox icon is from the Dominican Republic, Lucas’s mom, Juliana, was born and raised in São Paulo. I’ve expressed gratitude for the chance to play for the nation, per MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos.

“It means a lot,” Ramirez stated. “I get to showcase my abilities for Team Brazil and represent her. I’m not only representing Brazil in baseball. I’m representing the whole country and showing love to the culture.”

The Angels drafted Lucas Ramirez within the seventeenth spherical of the 2024 MLB Draft, and he posted a .772 OPS of their farm final 12 months. Ramirez, a pure righty, realized to bat left-handed on the instruction of his nine-time Silver Slugger dad.

“He just made me a lefty when I was little and I just stuck to it,” Ramirez stated. “He was my hitting coach my whole life. I didn’t go to anybody else. I just trusted him. I tried to implement some of the stuff he did when he played, just from the left side. Nothing different.”

Ramirez is off to a very good begin for Team Brazil. The 20-year-old homered off ace Jacob deGrom in an exhibition contest in opposition to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

This 12 months will mark Brazil’s first WBC look since 2013, and so they’re an underdog to advance past a five-country Pool B additionally that includes the United States. However, Ramirez warned skeptics to not overlook them.

“We’re underrated,” Ramirez stated. “A lot of people think [teams] They’re just going to walk all over us, but nah. We’ve got some power. We’ve got strength. “We’re going to fight.”

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