His strikeout rate actually dropped in 2005 as compared to the previous year, despite his less than stellar performance in other regards.

61 strikeouts in 388 ABs last year, 62 in 465 ABs in '05.  

Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but at least he's still making contact at higher levels.  Makes me think it's more likely it was just a bad year, and not a sign that he can't handle more advanced pitching.

I think next year is the make or break year.  He's progressed ok, but hasn't had that breakout year where he starts to realize his potential.

Presumably he goes back to AA, and if he doesn't start hitting soon... suddenly he's not that young anymore.  

Cordero had a little less speed, a little more pop, but the body types and peripheral stats are similar.  I think Ramirez is being rushed a bit, as Cordero was.

Sorry, I have never been a fan of Hanley.

He has had some very good seasons, but something about him has always scared me off on him.

I don't see him playing in Boston. He's going to get moved this winter for a big-name player or going to do it next year. I just don't see a star in his numbers and with Boston locked in an arms race with the Yanks, I can't see it.

I believe that his defense and position determines how soon he will play.  Seems like a move to the outfield is in his future.  He could possibly rise quickly as a fourth/400 AB outfielder, or maybe as a Chone Figgins 600 AB utility player.

From Baseball America:
Ramirez tools are similar to Milledge's and he also matured this season.  His bat isn't quite as advanced, however, because he struggles with the rhythm of his swing, restricting his ability to center balls on the bat.  At times his front foot doesn't get back to the ground quickly enough, disrupting his timing.

Once he corrects that flaw, he could be an all-star shortstop in the majors.  Ramirez possesses excellent bat speed and strong wrists, and when he's right balls jump off his bat and have carry to all fields.

His defense is spectacular, as Ramirez has above average range, plus-plus arm strength and soft hands.  He also has plus speed.

in Trenton, and I must have caught him on one of his good days. He was by far the best "athlete" on the field, showing excellent speed, range, and some pop, including a line-drive 3B off the CF wall... could be that he was hitting against Sean Henn! ;)

I don't how how to predict what he will be... I do think he looks like a legitimate SS, and BA seems to think the same. I don't think he is as fast as Reyes, but he could be similar to that as a hitter, better if he develops the power that BA thinks he has. I still have confidence that he will be good, whether it's in Boston or not. 2006 will tell a lot... it'll be interesting to see if they move him to AAA or leave him in AA.

My wild guess:
Some years, he may hit over 280-290, which, combined w/defense, would make him valuable.  But then he'll have some .220/.285/.310 years and settle in as a Mark McLemore super-sub type guy.  
Simply not an advanced enough bat to be a starter year in and year out, but a few pretty good years.  Like someone else said, that's not a bust, per se, but it's not an all-star.

One thing that can't be ignored is his age, he's only 21, and seems to have a toolset that needs time to simmer.

I agree that he won't be a superstar type that we were hoping for prior to '05, but his ceiling is still reasonably high.

Hopefully the Sox can convince other teams that BA is right, that he's a top 20 prospect in baseball, and get something helpful for him.  I'm not sure what he would command, maybe one of TB's extra OFers?

Hanley was living up to his #10 ranking on BA up until the end of May. Through May 30th, he was batting .311/.365/.476/.841 with 24 K and 12 BB in 164 ABs.  Then he hit a cold stretch of .136/.204/.159/.363 with 5 K and 3 BB in 44 ABs that ultimately led to him being disabled for a back injury.  Immediately after coming off the DL, he hit .286/.363/.443/.805 with 6 K and 8 BB in his next 70 ABs, but his aggregate totals for his post DL numbers were .268/.338/.366/.704 with 33 K and 24 BB in 257 ABs.  Clearly he struggled after May 30th, but I just can't understand how a player who had great numbers at AA at the end of last year and the beginning of this year could just collaspe like he did.

Here's why I think he might have had nagging injuries over the second half. Hanley hit all of his 7 triples by May 10th and 5 of them came in the first 10 games. I don't have his baserunning stats broken down over the season, but the triples alone show that his speed totally disappeared in the second half. Also, all 6 of his home runs were hit by July 14th, and 4 were hit in the first two weeks of July, shortly after he returned from the DL when he most likely was completely healthy. Thus, when combined with the disappearance of the triples and his 110 point decline in slugging, it's obvious that his power disappeared as well. 80% of his decline in OPS was caused by his decrease in slugging. The disappearance of both his speed and his power in the second half has led me to think that he has nagging injuries, much like Renteria in September.

Thus, it'll be interesting to see how he performs in AAA next year.  He is still a top prospect in my book because he has shown flashes of greatness.  The bigger question with Hanley is not if he is no longer a legitimate prospect, but if he can put together a complete season without getting injured.

"Alan Matthews: Tools! He's got plus tools across the board and it's a matter of developing those tools into a foundation of workable baseball skills that remains Ramirez' task. He played the entire season as a 21-year-old, so he's got time on his side and it's understandable that he didn't tear up the EL, which was heavy in pitching prospects at almost every stop. He was a career .313 hitter entering the season, so he has performed just fine, to go along with that projection and his tools, by the way."

Hmm?

Many successful MLers stumbled at some point in the minors before putting it all together. HR has the tools, and therefore the potential to be a star. This year, barring injury, will be a real test.

I don't think anyone can predict how he will turn out at this point, and I wouldn't bet the farm on him myself, but to write him off based on a mediocre year after a promotion to AA is premature. Patience.

Also, I don't think the Sox should jump the gun and trade him this offseason because he will probably fetch only mediocre talent in return following his down year. The Sox are already invested, so they should stay the course with him and and let him either prove he is a top talent or just watch him fade slowly away. This guy has a real chance to be something special and the potentially huge reward of seeing him as a Sox regular seems worth the slight risk of not getting as much as they can for him now in case he crashes.

Plenty of tools players bust.  More bust than don't.  So counting on Hanley is obviously nuts and trading him for the right deal is something Epstien should be open to.

That said, a bad year playing at AAA at the age of 21 does not cause for panic represent.  He's a tools player, give the guy a little time to learn to use those tools against some very advanced opponents and see what he can really do.

Even though 'wait and see' is a huge cop-out when you're being specifically asked for an opinion, it's truer for Hanley Ramirez than for most players.  We'll know more in a year.

I heard he's a tool or somethin..

Is it just me, or does he remind anyone else of Wilson Betemit?  Still a lot of hope there for both.

To who ever mentioned Arias posting better offensive #s than HanRam...

The Eastern League is always a pitchers league and the Texas League is always a hitters league based just on the ballparks and climate conditions.  Added to that is the fact that the Eastern league this year as matthews points out was chock full o pitching and the fact that teams are sometimes wary of sending top pitchers to the Texas league.  There is a lot of adjusting to do when it comes to those #s.

Also, doesn't Boston play AA in portland maine!?  Can't be easy to hit in those temperatures, plus im sure the sea winddoesnt help