Yohan Ramírez Bio
Yohan Manuel Ramírez is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on May 6, 1995, he has spent parts of nine MLB seasons in the majors after a long climb through the minor leagues, and he has become a familiar middle-inning relief arm for several clubs.
Across his career, Ramírez has suited up for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox, in addition to two stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His journeyman path has carried him through waiver claims, trades, and minor league contracts as he continues to compete at the top level of the sport.
Early Life and Background
Yohan Manuel Ramírez was born in the Dominican Republic on May 6, 1995, and grew up in a country with a deep tradition of producing big-league pitchers. From a young age, he was drawn to baseball, and his athletic frame and arm strength made pitching a natural fit as he developed.
He came up through the same amateur pipelines that have long supplied Dominican talent to Major League organizations, working on his mechanics and his breaking ball while playing against older competition. That foundation prepared him for a professional career that began in his early twenties, once he was eligible to sign with an MLB club.
Path to Professional Baseball
On June 15, 2016, Ramírez signed with the Houston Astros as an international free agent for a $15,000 signing bonus, launching his pro career in the Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League. In his first stateside action, he went a combined 2–1 with a 2.37 ERA over 30 and one-third innings, drawing positive reviews from the Astros’ player-development staff.
He moved up the ladder in 2017, splitting time between the Quad Cities River Bandits, Buies Creek Astros, and Corpus Christi Hooks, going a combined 4–5 with a 4.66 ERA over 75 and one-third innings. In 2018, he worked primarily at Quad Cities and Buies Creek, finishing 6–8 with a sharp 3.00 ERA across 78 innings, and in 2019 he pitched for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers and Corpus Christi, going 4–7 with a 3.99 ERA in 106 innings. That steady progress across four minor league seasons set the stage for his Rule 5 selection and his first taste of the big leagues.
Yohan Ramírez Career
Early Career (2016–2019)
Ramírez opened his professional career in the Astros’ Dominican and Gulf Coast League affiliates in 2016, flashing a low-2.00s ERA and convincing the organization that he could handle a heavier workload. He answered that challenge the following year by advancing through three full-season affiliates, a sign that the Astros viewed him as a legitimate relief prospect rather than a depth arm.
By 2018, Ramírez had refined his breaking ball, and his 3.00 ERA over 78 innings in 2018 was the kind of performance that typically catches the eye of Rule 5 scouts. He carried that momentum into 2019, throwing 106 innings between Fayetteville and Corpus Christi, which helped position him as one of the more polished upper-level arms in Houston’s system heading into the offseason.
Seattle Mariners Breakthrough (2019–2022)
On December 12, 2019, Ramírez was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the Rule 5 draft, a path that required Seattle to keep him on its big-league roster or risk returning him to Houston. He made his major league debut on July 24, 2020, against the Houston Astros, pitching a scoreless inning and collecting his first MLB strikeout against Martín Maldonado, and he finished the shortened season with a 2.61 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and 20 walks in 20 and two-thirds innings.
In 2021, Ramírez made 25 appearances for Seattle, going 1–3 with a 3.90 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 27 and two-thirds innings, and he earned a regular role in the Mariners’ late-inning relief mix. His 2022 season in Seattle got off to a rocky start, as he posted a 7.56 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 8 and one-third innings across seven appearances, and on May 13, 2022, he was designated for assignment, ending his first big-league tenure with the Mariners.
Cleveland Guardians (2022)
Ramírez was traded to the Cleveland Guardians on May 16, 2022, in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later, and he quickly moved between Cleveland’s major league club and its Triple-A affiliate in Columbus. He appeared in 11 games for the Columbus Clippers, allowing five earned runs in 10 and one-third innings, and he pitched two innings in the majors for the Guardians on June 24, allowing one run on three hits, before being designated for assignment on July 3.
Pittsburgh Pirates Era (2022–2023)
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Ramírez on July 8, 2022, in exchange for cash considerations, and he rewarded that bet with a productive finish to the season. He made 22 appearances for Pittsburgh down the stretch, going 3–1 with a 3.67 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 27 innings of work, giving the Pirates a reliable bridge to their late-inning relievers.
He was optioned to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians to begin the 2023 season but was recalled by the Pirates on April 16, and he made his 2023 debut on April 19 against the Colorado Rockies. Across 26 relief appearances, he logged a 3.67 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 34 and one-third innings pitched, but on September 1, 2023, Ramírez was again designated for assignment as Pittsburgh reshaped its bullpen for the final month.
Chicago White Sox and New York Mets (2023–2024)
On September 5, 2023, Ramírez was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox, where he struggled to a 9.00 ERA with four strikeouts in four innings across five games before being designated for assignment on December 13. Three days later, on December 18, the White Sox traded him to the New York Mets in exchange for cash considerations, but he lasted only three appearances with the Mets, posting an 11.81 ERA before being designated for assignment on April 8, 2024.
Baltimore Orioles, Dodgers, and Red Sox (2024)
On April 11, 2024, the Mets traded Ramírez to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations, and he logged a 6.00 ERA with six strikeouts in six innings over five appearances before being designated for assignment on May 2. He returned to the Mets on May 6, 2024, on a waiver claim, only to be designated for assignment again on May 15 after a 7.56 ERA in two games, and on May 20, the Mets traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations.
With the Dodgers, Ramírez made 27 appearances but allowed 18 runs in 29 and one-third innings for a 5.52 ERA, and a rough outing on July 24 against the San Francisco Giants, in which he gave up five earned runs without retiring a batter, led to a designation for assignment the following day. The Boston Red Sox claimed him off waivers on July 28, 2024, and he pitched one and one-third innings while allowing two earned runs before being designated for assignment on July 31; he cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox on August 2 before electing free agency on October 1.
Pittsburgh Pirates Return (2024–Present)
On October 24, 2024, Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, returning to the organization that had given him his most productive big-league stretch. On July 4, 2025, he triggered an opt-out clause in his contract and was released, only to re-sign with the Pirates on a new minor league deal two days later and report to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. On July 11, the Pirates selected his contract and added him to their active roster, restoring him to the major league club.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ramírez has carved out his career as a right-handed reliever who relies on a lively fastball and a sharp breaking ball to generate swings and misses in short bursts. His best stretches have come when his command is sharp, allowing him to work ahead in counts and pitch efficiently in middle relief, while his worst outings have typically come when control slips and his pitch count climbs early in appearances.
Notable Events and Milestones
His most memorable milestone came on July 24, 2020, when he made his MLB debut against the Houston Astros, the organization that originally signed him, and recorded his first strikeout against Martín Maldonado. His 3–1 run with the Pirates in the second half of 2022 also stands out as one of the most productive stretches of his career.
Yohan Ramírez Family
Personal Life
Publicly available information about Yohan Manuel Ramírez’s personal life is limited, and detailed family details have not been widely reported. He is a citizen of the Dominican Republic, and he has spent the majority of his professional life in the United States while competing in various minor league cities.
2025 Season Performance
Ramírez began the 2025 season in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization on a minor league contract, working out of the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians bullpen as he waited for an opportunity at the big-league level. After triggering an opt-out clause on July 4, 2025, he briefly hit the open market before re-signing with Pittsburgh two days later on a new minor league deal.
On July 11, the Pirates selected his contract and added him to their active roster, giving him a fresh chance to contribute to the major league bullpen. Through his early 2025 appearances back in Pittsburgh, he has worked primarily in middle relief, looking to recapture the form that made him a reliable arm for the club during the second half of 2022.