Ramírez established himself as an elite hitter during his prime years, with a high career batting average (.289) and a high isolated power (.197). However, he was rated a poor defensive shortstop, resulting in a move to left field with the Red Sox, where he fared even worse defensively. For the 2016 season, he was switched to the first base position, a move that yielded good results both offensively and defensively. His hitting declined from 2017 on, as he posted the lowest batting averages and the lowest OPS of his MLB career.