Heliot Ramos passes the test that matters

There is a very simple test to decide whether or not a baseball player moves the needle. Ask yourself, 'Does this player alone make me want to turn on the TV?'

Heliot Ramos does.

I am not a Giants fan. I am not someone who has any interest in carrying weight for a dull team. Ramos actively makes me want to watch the Giants in a way no one else comes close to. They have other interesting pieces, but he's the juice.

There have been brief moments of that feeling for the Giants in recent years. There was the glimpse of Jung Hoo Lee, Luis Matos' torrid week, Casey Schmitt's post call-up glow, some late-night Lamonte Wade Jr. heroics, the best of Camilo Doval.

But the Giants have been desperate for someone to rake . And Ramos is not just raking, but he's doing it with a vibe. He is doing so on a team that has a tendency to sulk in the shadows of mediocrity, seemingly comfortable or content with the reality of being just fine. Ramos rejects that.

Among players with at least 150 plate appearances, Ramos ranks seventh in weighted on-base percentage (.421) and fifth in hard-hit percentage (58.1 percent). He's 96th percentile or better in average exit velocity, expected slugging, expected weighted on-base percentage, barrel percentage and hard hit percentage. He's up there with the Sotos, Guerro(Jr.)s and Ohtanis of the world right now.

In his 15 games in June, Ramos is slashing .387/.458/.774 with 7 home runs and 18 RBIs. Those swing analytics numbers suggest that if he continues to barrel the ball up (and he's doing that at an elite level), it's going to continue to be fireworks off the bat. He's swinging harder than Jorge Soler is (only Matt Chapman has a faster bat speed on the Giants).

He's an All-Star, assuming he stays healthy. His swing speed is elite. His production is elite. And most importantly, he has swagger, something the Giants have been in glaring lack of since, what, the last time they won a World Series?

This image of Ramos going opposite field, beating his chest after rounding first base?

That's electric. That puts asses in seats. It gets you to care about mid-summer baseball for a team hovering around .500.

With Heliot Ramos, the Giants have someone who definitively answers the question, 'Should I watch them play?'

If he's out there? Yes, you should.