There were likely a lot of emotions running through Heliot Ramos’ mind when he entered the Giants’ clubhouse as a member of the team for the first time on Sunday, but nothing can help calm nerves like seeing a familiar face.
San Francisco’s highly-touted prospect made his MLB debut in the Giants’ 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins at Oracle Park -- even contributing to the win -- and Ramos’ big day started out on a high note when he saw his No. 53 jersey hanging right next to his friend Joey Bart’s.
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“That was the first thing that I told him,” Ramos told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt and Shawn Estes during Postgame Live. “I was like, ‘Papi, I’m right next to you. We’re buddies.’”
The young stars are two of the Giants’ top prospects and became good friends during their time in the minor leagues. Ramos was drafted 19th overall by San Francisco in 2017, while Bart was taken second overall the next season. On Sunday, they were reunited in the big leagues.
Curt Casali started at catcher in place of the resting Bart in the series rubber match, and the rookie certainly had a good time watching his friend’s performance from the bench.
Ramos connected for a single on the very first swing of his major league debut and went on to finish the day 2 for 3. He started a two-out rally in the second inning, which eventually saw the Giants take the lead thanks to his speed and proved to be a pivotal point in the game.
Coming into the game, Ramos said it was the best day of his life. That excitement carried over into his postgame conversation with Britt and Estes, and he detailed how seeing his jersey hanging in an MLB clubhouse was different than being in the minors.
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“Yeah, but it was great. It was a great day, honestly,” Ramos said. “I saw my jersey in the clubhouse and I was like, ‘This is different. I’ve never had this before.’ The way they set up everything and the way everything is … It’s big leagues.”
Ramos made quite the impact in his first game, and being reunited with his friend Bart surely helped him feel at home.