Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!
Remember when Ramon Laureano looked like a budding superstar? It seems like an awful long time ago, as most pre-pandemic history does. The Laser slashed .288/.345/.508 with a wRC+ of 128 in his first two MLB seasons. On the defensive end, he wasn’t always consistent, but he made some phenomenal plays in the outfield. All of this was good for 6.2 fWAR across 657 plate appearances.
Things haven’t gone so well for Ramon since those 2018-19 seasons. He failed to maintain his momentum in the severely pandemic-impacted 2020 season. Laureano showed some spark at times during the 2021 season, but that progress was abruptly halted after he tested positive for a banned substance and received an 80 game suspension.