Jose Ramirez, by far the best player on the Cleveland Guardians, isn’t playing as well as he used to. His .209 batting average and 104 wRC+ leave a lot to be desired and have, unquestionably, affected the team negatively in the standings.
Ramirez, however, always finds a way to be productive and help his team. Take, for example, Wednesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals.
The Guardians won 3-1. It was, clearly, a low-scoring game. Ramirez went 0-for-2, but managed to walk twice and steal a base to help his team take the victory.
Even when the hits aren’t falling, true superstars find a way to have an impact in games. That’s what sets them apart from the rest.
“The thing with José is, even if he’s not getting hits, he’s getting on base. He takes his walks, and we saw that tonight. When he’s on the base paths, teams are aware, and they have to focus on him a little bit more and maybe take the focus off the batter at the plate. So José impacts the game wherever he is,” manager Stephen Vogt said, per Cade Cracas.
#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt on José Ramírez's base running in tonight's win over the Royals. He scored the team's third run, practically all by himself.
"The thing with José is, even if he's not getting hits, he's getting on base. He takes his walks, and we saw that tonight.…
— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) May 7, 2026
Ramirez can do it all on a baseball field. He has racked up four seasons with at least 30 home runs, has stolen 30+ bases three times, boasts an excellent 129 wRC+, and is already at 58.7 career fWAR.
He is a master of the beautiful art of baserunning, and he is more than willing to take a walk if the pitcher doesn’t give him anything to hit. He might get a bit anxious every now and then, trying to do too much, but he is one of the game’s most versatile superstars.
On Wednesday, his team was up 2-1 when he virtually manufactured that third run all by himself. He walked to open the eighth inning, stole second base, went to third after a flyout by Kyle Manzardo, and scored on a ground ball by David Fry. Just like that, he gave Cleveland a valuable insurance run.
When the hits actually start falling, and they will, Ramirez’s impact will be much, much greater. Right now, he is doing his best to be more involved and help his team win ballgames.
NEXT: Guardians Veteran Has Become One Of Baseball's Most Surprising Stories
