Houston tapped Northeastern Oklahoma A&M JC for a pair of Draft picks in 2014, grabbing right-hander Dean Deetz in the 11th round and Laureano in the 16th. Signed for $25,000, Laureano broke out in '16, batting .319/.428/.528 with 15 homers and 43 steals and leading the Minors in on-base percentage. While playing at a launching pad at Class A Advanced Lancaster boosted his numbers, he performed even better in Double-A and continued to stand out in the Arizona Fall League. But after he regressed across the board at Double-A in 2017, hitting .225/.296/.367 in his worst full-season campaign, and with Houston facing a 40-man roster crunch, Laureano become property of the A's in a November trade.
Though he's far from punch-less at the plate, Laureano stands out more for his hitting ability than his power. He has good patience and uses the entire field, though there are growing concerns about how much his simple right-handed swing will translate into power against better pitching. If he can cut down his strikeout rate and regain his once impressive feel for the zone, he could become a high-OBP player with 10-15 homers per year. Even if he doesn't, Laureano's strong track record against left-handed pitching could help him carve out a reserve role.
Provided he can get back on track with his bat, Laureano could fit nicely in the leadoff spot because he pairs his on-base skills with plus speed and the know-how to steal bases. He's more of an average defender in center field, better on the corners and capable of playing all three spots thanks to plus arm strength that produced a Texas League-best 16 assists in 2017. Statcast - Batting Season Pitches Batted Balls Barrels Barrel % Exit Velocity Launch Angle XBA XSLG WOBA XWOBA XWOBACON Hard Hit % K % BB % 2018 727 108 12 11.1 89.8 10.3 .256 .459 .358 .343 .443 41.7 28.4 9.1 ALL 727 108 12 11.1 89.8 10.3 .256 .459 .358 .343 .443 41.7 28.4 9.1 MLB 31254 6.1 87.4 10.9 .246 .399 .317 .313 .363 34.1 21.4 8.2 Transactions Team Date Transaction 08/03/2018 Oakland Athletics recalled RF Ramon Laureano from Nashville Sounds. 05/21/2018 Nashville Sounds activated RF Ramon Laureano from the 7-day disabled list. 03/13/2018 Oakland Athletics optioned OF Ramon Laureano to Nashville Sounds. 11/20/2017 Houston Astros traded OF Ramon Laureano to Oakland Athletics for RHP Brandon Bailey. 01/13/2017 Houston Astros invited non-roster OF Ramon Laureano to spring training. 12/27/2016 OF Ramon Laureano assigned to Tigres del Licey. 08/01/2016 Corpus Christi Hooks activated RF Ramon Laureano. 07/29/2016 RF Ramon Laureano roster status changed by Corpus Christi Hooks. 07/21/2016 RF Ramon Laureano assigned to Corpus Christi Hooks from Lancaster JetHawks. 04/05/2016 RF Ramon Laureano assigned to Lancaster JetHawks from Quad Cities River Bandits. 03/06/2016 OF Ramon Laureano assigned to Houston Astros. 10/15/2015 OF Ramon Laureano assigned to Tigres del Licey. 05/29/2015 RF Ramon Laureano assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Greeneville Astros. 09/23/2014 Greeneville Astros activated RF Ramon Laureano from the 60-day disabled list. 07/25/2014 Greeneville Astros placed RF Ramon Laureano on the 60-day disabled list. 06/19/2014 RF Ramon Laureano assigned to Greeneville Astros. 06/18/2014 Houston Astros signed OF Ramon Laureano.
