After 12 Major League Baseball seasons and another two seasons spent between Mexico and Venezuela, former MLB catcher Wilson Ramos has announced his retirement, according to El Extrabase on X. Born in Valencia, Venezuela, Ramos played in seasons with the Twins, Nationals, Rays, Phillies, Mets, Tigers, and Indians.
Ramos was signed out of Venezuela in July 2004 by the Minnesota Twins. After six seasons in the minor leagues, the Twins would recall Ramos in May 2010, where he went 4-5 in his MLB Debut. After just seven games in a Twins uniform, he was flipped to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Matt Capps.
Once joining the Nationals, he would become their primary catcher from 2011-16, becoming an All-Star for the first time in 2016. In 2011, Ramos finished fourth in N.L. Rookie of the Year voting, hitting for a .267 average, with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs. Ramos had his career-best season with the Nats in 2016, hitting a career-high 22 home runs with 80 RBIs while hitting for a .307 average in 131 games. He would become a free agent at the end of the season when he signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.
He would play in parts of two seasons with the Rays, becoming an All-Star for the second time during the 2018 season. During the 2018 season as a member of the Rays, Ramos hit .297, with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs in 78 games. During the 2018 MLB Trade Deadline, Ramos was traded to the Phillies for a player to be named later. In 33 games, Ramos hit .337 in a Phillies uniform, with a home run and 17 RBIs.
After the season, Ramos hit the free agent market again, signing a two-year, $19 million deal with the New York Mets. He was used as the Mets primary catcher for 2019, hitting 14 home runs and driving in 73 RBIs in 141 games, hitting for a .288 batting average. He would also play 45 games in the shortened 2020 season, hitting five home runs with 15 RBIs, only hitting .239. After the season ended, Ramos signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers for the 2021 season.
After just 35 games with the Tigers in 2021, Ramos only hit .200, belting six home runs and 13 RBIs. He would be released by the Tigers in June 2021 and signed with the Cleveland Indians in July. He would only see action in nine games with the Indians, hitting two home runs with seven RBIs. He would sign a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers for the 2022 season but only saw three games at the Triple-A level, leading to his release.
As he wasn’t done with his playing career for 2023, Ramos signed with the Acereros de Monclova in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. He would only play in 12 games, hitting .200, with three RBIs. He was released in May. About a month later, Ramos signed with the Long Island Ducks, part of Atlantic League Professional Baseball. In 40 games on Long Island, Ramos hit three home runs and drove in 24 RBIs, hitting for a .233 average. After the 2023 season, Ramos headed back to Venezuela, playing with the Bravos de Margarita. In 46 games in Venezuela, he hit for a
.320 average, with four home runs, driving in 36 RBIs. He represented Venezuela in the Caribbean Series for 2023-24, hitting .310 with two RBIs in seven games.
He would sit out the entire 2024 season, but he did opt to play another season in Venezuela with the Bravos de Margarita. Playing in 49 games, Ramos would hit six home runs, with 35 RBIs, while hitting for a .227 average. He helped to lead his team to play in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional finals, where they would eventually lose to the Cardenales de Lara, leading to Ramos’ retirement.
Across 12 seasons in the MLB, Ramos played in 990 games, picking up 946 hits, hitting 136 career home runs, 534 RBIs, and finishing with a career .271 batting average. For his career in Venezuela, he spent time with the Tigres de Aragua from 2006-2015 before joining the Bravos de Margarita in 2023. In LVBP, he played in 364 games, picking up 374 hits, 43 home runs, 223 RBIs, and hitting for a career .290 batting average.
