FIU coach Mervyl Melendez’s dream of having center fielder Heliot Ramos in center field is almost surely over.
Ramos, an FIU recruit who played his high school ball in Puerto Rico, was the 19th pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, which began on Monday.
The San Francisco Giants drafted Ramos, who was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 1 player in his country and No. 30 among all draft prospects. Ramos will likely sign a contract with the Giants, bypassing FIU.
“Heliot puts on a show when he’s on a baseball field,” Melendez said. “He is a big-time hitter with speed.