Jose Ramirez is so good at so many things on the baseball field that it’s sometimes hard to notice all of them. The Cleveland Guardians superstar is well on his way to the Hall of Fame, based mostly on his excellent production at the plate.
Ramirez is making history almost daily this season with his offensive accomplishments. But an overlooked part of that may be the way he performs on the bases.
Though the raw stolen base numbers are obvious, his ability to run the bases overall may be the best in the game. Yet, because there is no prominent statistic for going first to third, or scoring from second on a single, Ramirez may not get the full recognition he deserves.
Former Cleveland player Chris Gimenez recently revealed Ramirez’s best trait, saying it is, in fact, his baserunning.
“It’s probably the most dynamic part of [Jose Ramirez’s] game is his baserunning. It’s the non-sexy thing, right? Everybody likes to see the homers. He’s so good offensively, but baserunning, he doesn’t get enough credit for it. He’s the best in baseball at it,” Gimenez said.
Jose's former teammate, Chris Gimenez, has a sneaky pick for the best part of Jose's game. #GuardsBall
"It's probably the most dynamic part of his game."
– @chrisgimenez5 pic.twitter.com/bzMNvabVBm
— The Daily Guards (@DailyGuards) April 19, 2026
Gimenez got to see that ability up close as a teammate when Ramirez was in the early stages of his career during the 2014 and 2016 seasons. Now, even at 33 years old, the All-Star literally has shown no signs of slowing down, with 10 stolen bases in just 23 games this season.
The stolen base lost some of its luster when home runs took over the sport. But since the pitch clock was introduced, along with limits on pickoff throws and the implementation of larger bases, it has become a big part of the game again.
Though Ramirez is still making significant news with his six home runs this season, combining them with his stolen bases has taken him to another historic level. In fact, he needs just nine more home runs and three more stolen bases to become just the ninth player in MLB history to reach 300 in both categories for his career.
He is also on track to become just the second player to ever have three straight 30-30 seasons. That would give him four in his 14-year career.
So, even though it may not be obvious to the casual fan, when Ramirez’s career is finally over, they will look back at his baserunning and realize how truly special it was.
NEXT: Parker Messick Earns Major Nod Among MLB's Best Pitchers
