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Heliot Ramos believes that one misplay in 2025 led to what was a poor defensive season for the San Francisco Giants outfielder.
As a 24-year-old outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, Heliot Ramos earned a spot on the National League All-Star team in 2024. High expectations followed him into 2025. And while the 2025 season wasn’t a complete disaster for Ramos, it was a disappointment. While at spring training, Ramos discussed what went wrong.
Ramos’ offensive production in 2025 (.256/.328/.400, 24 home runs), was slightly down but similar to what he produced in 2024 (.269/.322/.469). Defensively, though, the drop was more pronounced. Ramos owed his defensive struggles to a lack of confidence. What caused that lack of confidence? A play that came early in the second half of the season.
Heliot Ramos Believes One Defensive Misplay Triggered His Struggles
The Giants opened the second half of the 2025 season on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays. After Toronto took the first two games, San Francisco was trying to avoid a sweep in the third game of the series. With the two teams tied 1-1 in the third inning, Bo Bichette came to the plate for the Blue Jays, facing Robbie Ray with two outs and two runners on.
While Bichette hit a hard line drive to left field, it looked like it would be an inning-ending flyout. Ramos, though, misplayed the ball, running in on the ball, which eventually flew several feet over his head. The misplay led to a two-run double, giving the Blue Jays a lead they never surrendered.
In discussing the play with Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle, Ramos said that it led to a lot of mental struggles.
“That was kind of a big deal for me mentally,” Ramos said, per Rubin (Paywall required. “I was like, ‘Oh, my god, I gotta do something. I gotta fix my stuff.’”
After some offseason work in left field, Ramos’ confidence is returning.
“This is something, through the minor leagues, I never had a problem,” he said, per Rubin. “I know I’m not going to be a Gold Glove center fielder, that’s for elite guys like Byron Buxton. But me, I know 1,000% I can be a Gold Glove left fielder because of the athletic ability I have.”
Ramos’ Defense Must be Better in 2026
Improving the outfield defense was a priority for the Giants, who had arguably the league’s worst defensive outfield in 2025.
“Another deficiency the Giants will have to address is their outfield defense, which ranked last in the Majors with -18 Outs Above Average in 2025,” Maria Guardado of MLB.com wrote in November.
“Heliot Ramos’ struggles in left field (-9 OAA) were particularly pronounced, but the Giants also got subpar defense out of Jung Hoo Lee (-5 OAA) in center field, raising questions about whether the former KBO star will be able to stick in the middle of the diamond or be forced to shift to a corner spot in the future,” Guardado added.
Since November, the Giants made one major move to improve the defense when they signed Harrison Bader. Bader will be a defensive improvement over Lee in center field, while Lee’s defense should improve as he moves into right field.
And while Bader’s range in center field will definitely help Ramos in left, Ramos’ angles, reads and first steps will have to get a lot better. If they can, the now 26-year-old Ramos can still be a franchise cornerstone.
Michael Dixon Michael Dixon has over 15 years of experience in journalism, both online and in print. While originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he presently lives in the greater Indianapolis area. He’s also previously lived and worked in Arizona.
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