This year, the Victoria HarbourCats will benefit from having the two sons of one of the MLB’s most-feared hitters on their squad.
Manny Ramirez Jr., 21, and Lucas Ramirez, 18, are two sons of Manny Ramirez who played 19 seasons and batted .312 with 555 home runs—still today, the 15th highest total in MLB history.
Ramirez’s accolades include:
- Playing for the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians), the Boston Red Sox, the LA Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays
- He was a 12-time all-star, MVP of the 2004 World Series
- Won the 2002 American League batting title
- Was the Hank Aaron Award winner in 1999 and 2004
- Was part of a second Red Sox team to win the World Series in 2007
- Hit more postseason home runs (29) than anyone else in the history of the game
- Finished top-10 in MVP voting in the American League eight years in a row (1998-2005)
Ramirez’s sons have had the benefit of learning the game from their father and having the same drive as he had on his way to the top.
According to the HarbourCats, Manny Jr. is a booming right-handed power hitter, while Lucas is a lefty with a power stroke who has also committed to the University of Tennessee for the fall.
The brothers are both outfielders who can also play as designated hitters.
“These are notable signings not just for us, but for the entire West Coast League—this will be exciting news for our fans and sponsors, no question,” said Jim Swanson of the HarbourCats.
The team’s former pitching coach, Alec Adame, who is coaching Manny Jr. at East LA College recommended the brothers for the team and now, because of the dedication from the current coaching staff, it is all happening.
“It’s been a pleasure working with the family to set this all up, and we know Victoria will welcome them all with open arms to the city rated the best city in the world,” Swanson continued.
The HarbourCats say that so far this spring, Manny Jr. leads ELAC with three home runs and has 18 runs driven in over 20 games, as well as nine doubles and walking 14 times.
Lucas however, is just graduating high school this year at American Heritage in Florida. According to the HarbourCats, he is a possible high-round pick in the upcoming draft because of his power from the left side.
The HarbourCats open on the road May 31st in Kamloops, then return for the June 7th home opener against Wenatchee.
The regular season runs until August 7th, with WCL playoffs running from August 10th to August 16th.
