Jose Ramirez got off to a slow start at the plate in 2026, but he has started to pick it up, just as he always has for the past 14 years with the Cleveland Guardians. He is one of the last players anyone needs to worry about, and his performance over the past week is a testament to that.
While the bat was a bit slow coming out of the gate, nothing else has wavered. The defense has been great as always, the leadership has been unquestionable, his place in the lineup has been occupied every day, and he has been the league’s pre-eminent force on the base paths.
As Ramirez’s bat has woken up, it has opened up the chance for him to wreak more havoc on the bases. With Saturday’s steal, which was his eighth in the past eight games, Ramirez now leads the majors with ten swipes on the year.
“Jose Ramirez is the first player to reach 10 stolen bases this season!” MLB posted.
José Ramírez is the first player to reach 10 stolen bases this season! pic.twitter.com/EAJLKDGlvy
— MLB (@MLB) April 18, 2026
Ramirez has had a history-making campaign so far, but not at the plate just yet. He is only hitting .215, though he has been drawing walks at a career-high rate thus far.
Cleveland’s offense continues to struggle as a whole, and it’s imperative for others to wake up to help provide Ramirez more protection. Part of the reason he has already drawn 16 walks is because Kyle Manzardo, Rhys Hoskins, and Bo Naylor are all hitting well below their capabilities and making it easy for teams to pitch around Ramirez.
Stealing bases at this rate could eventually make teams think twice about pitching around him, because lately Ramirez has turned most of these walks into doubles. It’s a testament to how savvy of a veteran he is and how no matter how things are going for him at the dish, he’ll always find a way to make a huge impact.
Starting ten for ten in the steals department is impressive. Hopefully this is the beginning of him finally getting over the 40/40 hump.
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