The Cleveland Guardians have always taken pride in their farm system. They’ve always excelled at finding and developing talent, and that’s not going to change any time soon.
This team is well aware of its financial limitations. They know they can’t compete with big markets or engage in bidding wars, and as such, building a team from the ground up is the best way to stay competitive.
That’s exactly what they did with Jose Ramirez. He was a not-so-known and raw prospect from the Dominican Republic, and now he’s a future Hall of Famer.
That’s why Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report believes he’s the team’s best homegrown talent in 2026.
In his latest column, he raved about the superstar third baseman:
“3B José Ramírez,” Reuter wrote. “Ramírez received a modest $50,000 bonus when he was signed out of the Dominican Republic, and while he made his MLB debut at the age of 20, he hit just .239/.298/.346 with a 76 OPS+ over his first three years in the big leagues. He broke through in a big way in 2016, and since the start of that season, his 54.9 WAR trails only Mookie Betts (66.9) and Aaron Judge (62.3) among all players.”
Ramirez might not be the loudest or the most popular, but he’s been the most consistent player in the American League for quite a while now. He hasn’t peaked as high as, say, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, or Mookie Betts, but over time, he’s probably been the most steady superstar.
He has a legitimate chance to go down as the franchise’s all-time leader in most categories and the best position player in Guardians history. And the best part is that he’s shown no signs of slowing down.
Unfortunately, Ramirez has yet to break through and get the recognition he deserves. He has been a finalist for AL MVP multiple times, but to no avail.
More importantly, he has yet to play on the biggest stage, and not even taking a hometown discount in his contract extension has been enough for the Guardians to surround him with the type of supporting cast he needs to take the team to the World Series. That’s something that needs to change.
Jose Ramirez is one of the best players of his generation.
He continues to make history almost every time he sets foot at the plate, and the front office needs to do better by him.
NEXT: Insider Reveals How Guardians Could Bolster Outfield
