Heliot Ramos , at least as far as the New York Yankees go, is not a household name.
He may have to become one for these 2026 Yankees to go on a deep run into the playoffs as they try to end a World Series drought dating back to 2009.
Ramos is batting third for the Yankees in their Wild Card Series opener against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. He's playing right field.
There are few more notable spots in sports than the 3-spot in the Yankees' lineup, and so Ramos will have all eyes on him as these rivals clash in the Bronx.
The reality is that the Yankees were in need of a heart-of-the-order hitter and a right fielder once Aaron Judge went on the injured list.
Ramos wasn't playing a ton with Judge back healthy. But with Judge hurt, Ramos becomes a crucial player for the Yanks.
The 3-spot on Tuesday is in part because the left-handed Payton Tolle is on the mound for the Red Sox.
It's also, though, a vote of confidence in what Ramos can bring. Even once Tolle leaves the game, Ramos is still in that crucial lineup spot. The Yankees clearly believe he can deliver in a big spot, whether early in the game against a lefty or late in the game against a same-side righty.
In a baseball playoff series, it's always about more than one player. There are too many individual moments for a single guy to decide who advances.
But for the Yankees, Ramos is clearly going to be important.
Without Judge, the Yanks' lineup is definitively worse. They need that "next man up" mentality that football teams embrace with injuries. They can't do anything about the fact that Judge isn't on the roster for the Wild Card Series. All they can do is count on the guys they do have to deliver when called upon.
That's what Ramos is here for.
They traded for him from the San Francisco Giants before the summer deadline to add an outfielder who was previously an All-Star in the Bay Area.
He's 27 years old and clearly in his prime.
Before being traded, Ramos had a .264 average in 74 games with the Giants this season with 13 doubles, three triples and nine home runs.
He has struggled with the Yanks a bit, a .198 average in 38 games with seven doubles, a triple and four homers.
But this is a guy who hit 22 and then 21 home runs in 2024 and then 2025, and he's a career .253 hitter in an era when that's above league average.
Ramos hadn't gotten many big game opportunities in recent years as the Giants have slumped.
Now, he's under the bright lights. The Yankees need Ramos to shine bright, too.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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