Manny Ramirez Community Projections

If you haven't posted your thoughts for the following Dodger projections, take a moment to participate by clicking on the True Blue Community Projections and let us know what you think the future holds for 2009.

Next up is out newest addition Manny Ramirez. Also add the number of games you expect him to be able to start in LF. As a little guideline here are the left fielders older then 36  who posted an OPS+ > 100 before this decade.

Here is the latest analysis from Baseball HQ on our Manny

Latest Player Analysis :

3/5/2009 - Manny Ramirez and Dodgers finally seal the deal... After nearly an entire offseason full of speculation and negotiation, Manny Ramirez (OF, LAD) is a Dodger. He signed a 2-year deal on Wednesday, and is expected in camp on Thursday. Ramirez gave the Dodger offense a much-needed boost late last season, and should do the same this year:

Year   AB  HR   Avg   xBA   OPS   bb%  ct%  h%    G/L/F    PX  hr/f 
===== ===  ==  ====  ====  =====  ===  ===  ==  ========  ===  ====
2005  554  45  .292  .319   .976   13   79  30  37/24/39  185   27
2006  449  35  .321  .306  1.064   18   77  35  36/22/42  181   24
2007  483  20  .296  .284   .879   13   81  33  38/22/41  129   13
08 1H 290  16  .286  .274   .883   12   76  33  40/19/41  149   18
08 2H 262  21  .382  .341  1.178   16   80  42  36/28/36  197   28    

Ramirez was a good hitter in 2007 and the first half of 2008, but it wasn't what we were used to seeing from him. Both his PX and home run per fly ball rate had dropped significantly from his typical level. Then Ramirez exploded during the second half of last season. A 42 percent hit rate shows that he was pretty fortunate during that time, but an elevated hit rate should be expected when hitting that many line drives. Ramirez's elite power also returned during the second half.

Ramirez has been slowed by nagging injuries each of the last 2 seasons, which has likely been the main reason that his numbers had dropped a bit. At his age, it isn't likely that they will completely go away. That, combined with his attitude, make it difficult to project his performance for this season. That being said, his late season performance shows the skills that he still possesses, and what he can do if he is healthy and focused.

My Projection - 321/434/562 - 131 games in left field