The Cleveland Guardians have managed to make it to first place in the AL Central without a typical stellar season from Jose Ramirez. The third baseman missed time after needing wrist surgery in June, and as was to be expected with such an injury, he wasn’t the same type of power hitter when he rejoined the lineup.
But now, when the Guardians need him the most, Ramirez is performing at his former All-Star level. With Cleveland riding a five-game winning streak to remain atop the division, he is on his hottest streak since his late-July return, which includes just his second home run since June 6 and his 1,000th career RBI.
That is why insider Tim Stebbins has revealed Ramirez as the Guardians’ player to watch during the final week of the season as they try to hold off the Chicago White Sox.
“Ramirez has produced below his superstar standard this season, in which he has dealt with the aftereffects of left hamate surgery he underwent in June. It’s something he’ll have to manage the remainder of 2026, but the 34-year-old might be turning it on at the right time. Ramirez is 8-for-17 with three doubles, one home run and three RBIs in his past four games,” Stebbins wrote.
For the year, Ramirez is slashing .237/.324/.376 in 120 games, which would be his lowest numbers across the board for a full season. With six games remaining, he has 12 home runs and 51 RBIs, which would be his fewest totals since 2016.
Ramirez showed what he means to the team by scoring the only run in the Guardians’ 1-0 victory against the Athletics on Sunday. He led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, then advanced to third base on Chase DeLauter’s flyout to left field. Ramirez then came home on Jo Adell’s infield single.
With a one-game lead over the White Sox entering play on Monday, the Guardians will complete their season with a three-game series at the Boston Red Sox that begins on Tuesday, followed by three games at the Kansas City Royals. The White Sox play three games at Kansas City before three home games against the Colorado Rockies. If Cleveland and Chicago finish with the same record, the White Sox would win the division based on the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage.
But the Guardians are likely to make the playoffs as at least a wild card, and if Ramirez can continue to perform like this when they get there, all of his early-season woes will be easily forgotten.
NEXT: Guardians Make Crucial Move In Final MLB Power Rankings
