"No one should be more excited about the promising spring DH Manny Ramirez is having than All-Star 3B Evan Longoria. He's the guy who will hit in front of Ramirez.

Longoria hit .294 with 22 home runs, 104 RBIs and a .507 slugging percentage without consistent production behind him last year. The threat of a resurgent Ramirez clearing the bases with any swing should get Longoria more pitches to hit.

Rightly so, Longoria doesn't put too much stock in spring performances.

"We haven't really faced a lot of guys who are going to be in starting rotations, so you don't really get a sense of it," Longoria said. "But I feel more comfortable having him behind me, especially the way he's swinging the bat right now.

"He's that threat, that name you need. You say Manny Ramirez's name, you just associate that with a great hitter. I think that in itself gives me a little more confidence going to the plate."

Ramirez is 38 and his power numbers were down the past two years. But he has hit at least .290 for 16 consecutive seasons, and as recently as 2008, he had 37 home runs and 121 RBIs with the Red Sox and Dodgers.

The 12-time All-Star came to camp fit and eager to play and has hit .294 with three homers and eight RBIs - all of which has created optimism that he'll provide protection for Longoria.

The two went back-to-back with solo home runs Friday night against the Red Sox and have combined for five home runs in 69 at-bats.

"How good Manny looks right now definitely bodes well for Longo," manager Joe Maddon said. "Manny looks sharp … the quality of his at-bats. The other day in Jupiter, he let (Elliot) Johnson steal third base by taking (a second strike), and he still battled to drive him in with a sacrifice fly."