Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom surrendered a first-inning home run to 20-year-old Lucas Ramirez during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game in early March 2026. Ramirez, the son of Hall of Fame candidate Manny Ramirez, wore No. 24 for Team Brazil and took the Rangers’ prized right-hander deep before the WBC’s official schedule had even started.
The moment carried weight far beyond one spring swing. DeGrom has spent years battling injuries since his dominant Mets tenure. Watching a 20-year-old park a fastball into the seats drew immediate attention from scouts and broadcasters alike. Aaron Judge also took notice.
Who Is Lucas Ramirez?
Lucas Ramirez is a 20-year-old outfielder who qualified for Team Brazil through his mother’s heritage, despite being born in the United States. His father, Manny, hails from the Dominican Republic. Brazil’s WBC roster included Ramirez as one of its youngest members, and he wasted no time justifying that selection.
Manny Ramirez posted a career OPS+ of 154 across 19 major-league seasons. He is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous right-handed hitters the sport has produced. Lucas carries that lineage into every at-bat. His swing — compact load, explosive hip rotation, fast hands — drew comparisons to his father’s early pro profile from scouts watching the exhibition.
WBC eligibility rules allow players to represent a country through a parent or grandparent’s nationality. Ramirez secured his spot on Brazil’s roster through his mother’s background, a path that has grown more common as the WBC has expanded its global reach since the tournament’s 2006 debut.
Lucas Ramirez homered off two elite starters — Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom and San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb — within the same week during WBC play in March 2026. That back-to-back output put his name in front of every front office tracking international amateur talent.
Against deGrom, Ramirez connected early in the exhibition, driving the ball with exit velocity and launch angle that translates across competition levels. Against Webb, he delivered a statement blast during Brazil’s official WBC opener, answering a two-run shot by Aaron Judge with a drive that quieted a crowd expecting American dominance.
Webb is a ground-ball specialist with elite horizontal movement on his sinker. Most young hitters avoid attacking him early in counts. Ramirez did exactly that. Two home runs in one week, against pitchers who combined for multiple Cy Young Award finishes and All-Star selections, at an age when most prospects are still grinding through Double-A lineups. Judge sought out Ramirez after the game — a rare acknowledgment from one of baseball’s biggest names.
Texas Rangers Context: The deGrom Situation
The Texas Rangers signed Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal before the 2023 season. That contract reflected his standing as arguably the most dominant starter of his generation. His Rangers tenure has been defined more by the training room than the mound, with injuries limiting his availability across multiple seasons.
His WBC exhibition appearance was one of the more meaningful public looks at his current health heading into 2026. The Rangers’ rotation ceiling is firmly tied to what deGrom can deliver across 25-plus starts. A full, healthy deGrom — the version that posted a 1.08 ERA in 2021 and averaged 99 mph with a high-spin slider — would alter the AL West picture immediately.
Texas finished below .500 in 2025 after their 2023 World Series title. The front office has made clear that deGrom’s health is the single largest variable in their win-total projection. His four-seamer up in the zone and slider down and away remain theoretically devastating. The exhibition offered a small but real data point that his arm still carries that potential.
Lucas Ramirez, wearing No. 24 for Team Brazil, homered off Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom during a pre-tournament WBC exhibition game in March 2026.
Ramirez then went deep off San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb during Brazil’s official WBC opener, making him one of the few players to homer against two ace-caliber starters in a single week.
Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run for Team USA in that same game against Webb, then sought out Ramirez afterward — a notable gesture from one of baseball’s most prominent figures.
Ramirez qualifies for Team Brazil through his mother’s heritage; his father Manny was born in the Dominican Republic, and Lucas was born in the United States.
Ramirez was among the youngest players on Brazil’s WBC squad at just 20 years old.
What Comes Next for Both Sides
For the Texas Rangers, the deGrom exhibition outing carries a dual meaning. The fact that he took the mound at all in a competitive setting is an encouraging sign for a franchise that has watched him miss significant time. Surrendering a home run to a 20-year-old in his first visible spring appearance will draw scrutiny, even if exhibition results carry limited predictive weight in traditional scouting circles.
The Rangers’ pitching depth beyond deGrom includes Nathan Eovaldi and a collection of mid-rotation arms. Division rivals like the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners must account for a healthy deGrom in their own roster planning. Spring training progression without setbacks would give Texas a genuine ace atop their staff.
For Lucas Ramirez, the week of March 2026 functions as a genuine audition tape. MLB teams evaluating international prospects will have logged his exit velocities, his plate approach, and his comfort against premium velocity. He does not yet have a confirmed organizational home, but two home runs against deGrom and Webb in one week will accelerate those conversations fast. The power is real. Whether his plate discipline and defensive profile can carry him through the professional ranks at the same pace his bat has announced itself — that answer comes later.
Did Lucas Ramirez really hit a home run off Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom?
Yes. Lucas Ramirez, the 20-year-old son of Manny Ramirez, hit a home run off Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game in March 2026 while representing Team Brazil. The blast came before the WBC’s official group-stage schedule had begun.
Why does Lucas Ramirez play for Team Brazil and not Team USA or the Dominican Republic?
Lucas Ramirez was born in the United States and his father Manny Ramirez is from the Dominican Republic, but Lucas qualifies to represent Brazil through his mother’s heritage. WBC eligibility rules allow players to represent a country through a parent or grandparent’s nationality.
How is Jacob deGrom performing for the Texas Rangers in 2026 spring training?
DeGrom took the mound for a competitive outing against Team Brazil during a WBC exhibition in March 2026, one of his more visible public appearances in Rangers colors. The Rangers have managed his workload carefully given his injury history since signing him to a five-year, $185 million deal before the 2023 season.
What other elite pitcher did Lucas Ramirez homer off in the same week as deGrom?
Lucas Ramirez also homered off San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb during Brazil’s official WBC opener, doing so in the same week he went deep against Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom. The back-to-back performances against two of baseball’s top starters drew widespread attention across MLB scouting circles.
How old is Lucas Ramirez and what is his MLB prospect status?
Lucas Ramirez was 20 years old as of March 2026 and was among the youngest players on Team Brazil’s WBC roster. He does not yet have a confirmed MLB organizational affiliation, but his power displays against deGrom and Webb have accelerated interest from major-league front offices.
