The Cleveland Guardians have their backs against the wall. They lost the first two games of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, and another loss on Wednesday would mean their season is over. Just like that, after winning the AL Central, Cleveland is on the brink of elimination.
The offense has been the main culprit in the first two losses in the series. Starting pitching has been competent, and while the bullpen hasn’t been perfect, it hasn’t been bad either.
However, Cleveland has just three runs and seven hits in the first two games. That’s not going to cut it. Naturally, when a team’s offense is slumping, people point the finger at the superstar, the guy expected to carry the load. For the Guardians, that guy is Jose Ramirez.
Ramirez, however, has had to battle a sore hand following hamate bone surgery and isn’t the same after the procedure. He posted a 92 wRC+ in 2026, well below the league-average threshold of 100, and belted just 12 homers.
The third baseman hasn’t been good in the postseason, historically speaking. Asking him to carry the Guardians in his current condition might be unfair, too, and while analyst Ken Carman isn’t ignoring his low offensive output, he’s also shifting the blame to others for surrounding Ramirez with inexperienced players.
“I’m not ignoring [Jose Ramirez’s playoff struggles] whatsoever. If you think it’s excuse-making, that’s fine. I can’t hold him accountable when it comes to this because you wouldn’t be in that spot without him. So I wouldn’t be in a spot to be upset about what he’s doing or lack thereof in the Postseason if it weren’t for him in the first place because I’ve got him and a bunch of children playing for my baseball team,” Carman said.
"I'm not ignoring it whatsoever. If you think it's excuse-making, that's fine. I can't hold him accountable when it comes to this…because you wouldn't be in that spot without him. I've got him and a bunch of children playing for my baseball team."
🚨 @KenCarman to… https://t.co/f7wrtdiDlQ pic.twitter.com/7W5uGbYLtM
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 6, 2026
Ramirez is 0-for-6 in the 2026 playoffs, with a run scored, two walks, and three strikeouts so far. He hasn’t been able to exert his dominance, in part because of the hand.
However, J-Ram is also a .225 hitter in October, with a mediocre .666 OPS during his career. He hasn’t been a particularly productive player in the postseason so far.
As Carman says, it’s hard to point the finger at Ramirez because the Guardians truly wouldn’t be in the postseason to build a perennial contender without his gaudy numbers and his willingness to stay in Cleveland for his entire career.
If the Guardians want to have a chance at pulling off the upset, however, they need a big game from him on Wednesday.
NEXT: Analyst Raises Major Concerns After Guardians' Game 2 LossÂ
