Former Cardinals first-round pick begins next phase of career as head coach

The coaching career has come calling for a one-time St. Louis Cardinals prospect, as former outfielder James Ramsey just received a promotion to oversee Georgia Tech's baseball program.

James Ramsey is taking the helm as Georgia Tech's head baseball coach.

The Cardinals' second pick in the first round of the 2012 draft following their selection of Michael Wacha, Ramsey was a senior sign out of Florida State University for $1.6 million and was unanimously considered the best senior hitter in the draft. He had hit .378 with 13 home runs in his final season there and was a trademark Cardinals choice: a low-risk option who had major league talent but would likely never be a star. Scouts saw him as a player with several above-average tools but nothing that stood out as plus. He was lauded for his character and was repeatedly called "the Tim Tebow of baseball" for his leadership and devotion to Christianity.

In 2013, Ramsey hit .251 with Double-A Springfield and hit 15 home runs, reaching Triple-A Memphis for a single game. He peaked as the Cardinals' eighth-ranked prospect prior to the 2014 season, but despite Baseball America calling him a "safe bet to be a big-leaguer," Ramsey was never able to break through to the highest level.

The Cardinals appeared filled to the brim with outfield talent in 2014. Randal Grichuk, Oscar Taveras, Stephen Piscotty and Charlie Tilson were all highly touted young players who looked to be ahead of Ramsey in the pecking order. For that reason, the Cardinals dealt Ramsey to the Cleveland Indians at the trade deadline for starting pitcher Justin Masterson.

In the Indians organization, Ramsey spent the bulk of his time with Triple-A Columbus, hitting .284 in 2014 but only .243 the next season. He then saw action with the Triple-A affiliates of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins.

Ramsey called it a career after 2018 having played 548 minor league games and hitting .260 with 58 home runs. Following his time in professional baseball, he worked as an assistant baseball coach with Florida State before receiving a job as Georgia Tech's hitting coach in January 2019. His experience and top-class character should serve him well as the school's new head coach.