On Tuesday, May 5, the Cleveland Guardians were 18-19, and Jose Ramirez, their star player, was ‘slumping’ with a .212 batting average and a 105 wRC+. Many players would be happy with that last number, but J-Ram’s standards have been set so high that it was considered, indeed, a slow start.
Granted, Ramirez went hitless on Tuesday, but he had been so hot leading up to that game that he managed to increase his batting average to .236 and his wRC+ to a much better 122. Considering the fact that his career mark is 129, it’s safe to say the Guardians’ superstar third baseman is, by all intents and purposes, rounding into form.
Excluding Tuesday’s affair in Detroit, Ramirez was hitting 350/.481/.550 with two doubles, two homers, six stolen bases, and a 186 wRC+ in his last 11 games. He had nine hits, two long balls, and six RBI in his last four.
Cleveland is on a roll, winning seven of its last eight games, and Ramirez has been behind most of those victories. Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Angel Martinez, Daniel Schneemann, and Brayan Rocchio’s success has increased the ceiling of this ballclub. However, J-Ram’s return to form reminds us about this squad’s surprisingly high floor.
The Guardians are bona fide contenders if all those names are clicking, and that’s the case at the moment. Ramirez was too good to struggle for much longer, and his recent surge has been nothing short of remarkable.
The perennial MVP candidate is up to eight home runs and an amazing 20 stolen bases. He seems determined to try and get that elusive 40-40 campaign, but even though he is a bit off the power pace, he is on track to shatter the 40-steals plateau and his career best of 44, established last season.
Ramirez’s season line is already up to .236/.367/.423 with a 122 wRC+ and more walks (37) than strikeouts (29). He is on a quest to remind his doubters that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank, even in his age-33 campaign.
This Guardians team is special, and Ramirez is the spiritual leader who is also approaching top form.
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