New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, who has won the AL MVP Award in each of the last two seasons, has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right rib. He will now miss a minimum of 4-6 weeks, and it could be longer than that.
While it’s always tough to see players get hurt, it’s part of the game. The Cleveland Guardians know a thing or two about losing star players to injuries in recent seasons.
This particular injury, however, could represent an opportunity for Guardians star Jose Ramirez to finally get that individual piece of hardware he has been missing and that he has deserved in the past: the AL MVP Award.
Guardians insider Paul Hoynes suggested that Judge’s time away from the field will make it harder for him to win the award this year, and that it could open a small avenue for J-Ram if he can keep improving at the plate.
“The door is open for Jose Ramirez. The question is, will he walk through it because he’s never going to have a better chance than this year,” said Hoynes.
The problem, however, is that Ramirez got off to a slow start in 2026. Before the series against the Yankees to open the week, his wRC+ was at a modest 106: not bad, but far from his best output.
He has turned it on in recent days, and his wRC+ was at 114 after the Guardians’ loss in Texas on Friday. Remember, he also has nine homers and is the American League’s co-leader in steals with 22.
Ramirez has six top-five finishes in the AL MVP voting process throughout his career. Six. That’s a whole lot of near-misses.
Could this be his year? Without Judge in the picture, it could very well be if he can keep up the momentum and have an extended hot streak. Of course, it will help if he can pick up the pace in the power department and reach 40 stolen bases again.
He will also have to deal with top competitors. Bobby Witt Jr. is already approaching the four-fWAR threshold (Ramirez was at 2.3 before Friday’s game), Yordan Alvarez has 21 home runs and a 191 wRC+, and Ben Rice is having a Judge-ian season with the Yankees.
Ramirez, however, still has time. If he can produce his usual output, he will have a chance to be crowned AL MVP for the first time. That would certainly boost his already solid Hall of Fame credentials.
NEXT: Guardians Drop Series Opener In Texas Despite Travis Bazzana's Efforts
