The Cleveland Guardians aren’t a bad baseball team. You could very well say, however, that they aren’t particularly good at the moment, either, and that’s worrisome with the end of the season so close.
After dropping yet another series against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, they are 59-63 on the year, fourth in their division and out of a postseason spot at the moment. The Guardians have been largely successful in the last decade when it comes to making the playoffs, but that seems like a long shot at the moment given the way they are playing.
Jose Ramirez, the player who is supposed to be leading the way, is scuffling in 2026. He returned to action on July 22 after a five-week stint on the injured list with a hamate bone fracture, and doesn’t even have an extra-base hit since rejoining the roster.
He went 0-for-3 with a walk on Thursday’s loss, dropping his season line to a disappointing .231/.338/.377 and a 101 wRC+. He hasn’t homered since early June, a few days before his injury.
His manager, Stephen Vogt, is backing him in the middle of one of the worst stretches of his post-2016 career.
“(Ramirez) is giving us everything he has every day. We appreciate him going for it. He’s just missing some balls,” the manager said, per Guardians insider Tom Withers.
Guards manager Stephen Vogt said José RamÃrez (batting .231) is "giving us everything he has every day. We appreciate him going for it. … he's just missing some balls."
Ramirez clearly not his All-Star self. He appears mostly healthy but hasn't carried offense like we've seen.
— Tom Withers (@twithersCLE) August 13, 2026
On Thursday, Ramirez hit a 101.5-mph lineout in the ninth inning, besides a walk and two weak batted balls. He has some hard contact in recent games, but he hasn’t been lifting the ball like he did in his best days. The wrist, however, might be contributing to that.
Vogt, known as a players’ manager, knows that J-Ram could really use some people on his corner, as he is currently under fire for his lack of consistent production. And the skipper has faith in his superstar returning to form at some point.
If Ramirez turns his season around and the hits start falling, then Cleveland will have a strong chance to get into the playoffs. If he doesn’t, it will be an uphill battle because the only one with the upside to carry the team.
NEXT: Reeling Guardians Shut Out In Detroit, Lose Another Series
