SAN FRANCISCO -- Heliot Ramos didn¡¯t see it coming.

After receiving limited runway in his first two years with the Giants, he wasn¡¯t expecting to spend much time in the big leagues this season -- let alone develop into San Francisco¡¯s first homegrown All-Star outfielder since Chili Davis in 1986.

Ramos learned he¡¯d be accompanying right-hander Logan Webb to the 2024 Midsummer Classic in Arlington, Texas, during a team meeting in Cleveland on July 7. But the news didn¡¯t fully sink in until hours later, when he received a congratulatory text from one of his former high school coaches.

The message served as a reminder of just how far he¡¯d come since the Giants selected him with the 19th overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Leadership Christian Academy in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

¡°I realized I was actually going to the All-Star Game,¡± Ramos said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop crying. It was insane. It¡¯s a really good experience, really good news for me and my family. It¡¯s been a dream come true. I didn¡¯t even think I was going to make it because obviously I just got here.¡±

Ramos¡¯ first-round pedigree made him a fixture on MLB Pipeline¡¯s Top 100 Prospects list from 2018-21, but he began to fall off the radar after producing a .158/.220/.250 slash line over 34 games in his first two seasons in San Francisco. The 24-year-old came into this year as almost an afterthought, with the Giants optioning him to Triple-A Sacramento as part of their third round of Spring Training cuts on March 11.

Ramos didn¡¯t resurface with the Giants until May 8, when he finally made his season debut following a rash of injuries that shelved six position players in the span of eight days. He¡¯s scarcely been out of the lineup since, batting .298/.365/.523 with a team-leading 14 home runs and 46 RBIs over 60 games, while stepping in to fill the massive hole in center field that was left by the season-ending injury to Korean star Jung Hoo Lee.

¡°I don¡¯t remember when [someone] had this type of year where he¡¯s one of the first guys sent out in Spring Training,¡± manager Bob Melvin said. ¡°Limited at-bats in his career at the big leagues, never really given much of an opportunity, and then when he was given the opportunity, he¡¯s taken advantage of it to a point where I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anything this extreme. Credit to him, hard work. The ability has always been there. It needed to come out with some success. He¡¯s flourished and thrived, and now he¡¯s a National League All-Star.¡±

Ramos¡¯ breakout was so unexpected that his mom, Norma, booked a vacation to Spain for her and a friend over All-Star Week, which will prevent her from attending the festivities at Globe Life Field.

¡°She¡¯s so mad because she¡¯s planned that trip for two months already,¡± said Ramos, who will still have other family members in Texas, including his 5-month-old daughter Heliana, dad Agapito and older brother Hector. ¡°I was obviously not expecting to be here.¡±

While injuries cleared a path for Ramos to finally get another shot with the Giants, he managed to cement his spot on the roster by proving he could consistently deliver quality at-bats in the big leagues. His 50.6% hard-hit rate and 15.8% barrel rate rank in the 93rd and 96th percentiles, respectively, underscoring his ability to square balls up and do damage this year.

¡°I just think he's become a much better hitter,¡± president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said. ¡°You can say, 'Did the confidence create more plate discipline, or did focusing on that sort of create more confidence?' When you start playing well as a young player, it's a virtuous cycle. I think we're seeing the benefits of that.

¡°That was really the last piece of his development, and you're seeing it. All credit to him. I think the fact that he really takes pride in it is what gives us a lot of hope and confidence that he's just going to continue on his upward trajectory.¡±

Ramos said it was difficult to endure the constant shuttling between Triple-A and the Majors over the past two years, but he feels those struggles ultimately helped put him in position to seize the opportunity when it finally arrived this year. Now, it¡¯s looking like he¡¯s here to stay.

¡°I think what helped me more was the ups and downs,¡± Ramos said. ¡°That helped me to build character. That helped me to build what I am today and who I want to be in the future. Honestly, I¡¯m never giving up. It doesn¡¯t matter what happens. I¡¯m always going to keep pushing forward, and I¡¯m always going to try to be my best.¡±