The Pittsburgh Pirates are desperate to stay afloat in the National League wild-card race, and reliever Yohan Ramirez could be a key catalyst in turning their season around, especially after etching his name into the Major League Baseball record books.
According to OptaDATA, Ramirez became the only pitcher in MLB history to record a save featuring three strikeouts with the tying run in scoring position in the 12th inning or later. Out of more than 60,000 saves recorded since the stat became official in 1969, Ramirez stands alone.
Raiírez proved vital for the Pirates in a crucial victory over the San Diego Padres—one of their direct rivals for a postseason berth—as Pittsburgh continues to chase down San Diego in the standings.
Following a midseason trade with the New York Yankees that brought back Camilo Doval, the Pirates have struggled to find consistent momentum, forcing the club to rely heavily on Doval and Ramirez to lock down high-leverage late innings.
Ramirez’s performance so far this season
Throughout his big-league career, Ramirez has served primarily as a high-velocity right-handed middle reliever. Across more than 200 career appearances, he has posted a 4.29 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP while showcasing strong swing-and-miss ability with a career K/9 over 9.5.
A resilient bullpen journeyman, Ramirez relies on a hard-biting upper-90s sinker paired with a high-spin sweeper, making him a versatile weapon for both late-inning jams and multi-inning relief duty.
In his 2026 campaign with Pittsburgh, Ramirez has put together one of the most dominant stretches of his career. Anchoring the Pirates’ bullpen, the right-hander has registered a career-best ERA around 3.00 with more than 75 strikeouts across 68-plus innings pitched.
