When Jose Ramirez, the star of the Cleveland Guardians, took the field for Tuesday’s opener against the New York Yankees, he had a 106 wRC+, which is uncharacteristically low for a player of his talent and track record. He was struggling to return to his top form.
The Guardians have played two games against the Yankees this week, winning both of them in large part thanks to Ramirez’s offensive outburst. Now, they have a chance to go for an unexpected sweep if they can win on Wednesday, and with Ramirez producing as he has in these last two games, they have as good a chance as any team of bringing their brooms to New York.
Ramirez has six hits in the two games, including three doubles on the same night and a home run in the other. He also stole a base. Now, his wRC+ is a much cooler 118, closer to his career mark of 129.
No, Ramirez isn’t washed. He may start declining relatively soon because Father Time is undefeated, but he still has a lot to give Cleveland and has proved as much this week.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has been impressed with his overall output and sang his praises on Wednesday, calling him a Hall of Famer.
“I just look at him as such a great player. You realize you’re going up against a great Hall of Fame player,” Boone said.
Aaron Boone on Jose Ramirez: "I just look at him as such a great player. … You realize you're going up against a great Hall of Fame player."
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 4, 2026
At this point, it’s not crazy to assume that Ramirez will be in strong consideration by voters to become a member of the Hall of Fame a few years after he retires. He has been, after all, the best and most consistent third baseman of his generation, putting up incredible numbers since 2016.
Ramirez has 294 career home runs and 308 stolen bases. He will inevitably reach 300 long balls, and it will likely happen this year. Do you know how many major leaguers have at least 300 dingers and 300 thefts? Eight: Barry Bonds, Andre Dawson, Steve Finley, Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Reggie Sanders, Alex Rodriguez, and Carlos Beltran.
On top of that, Ramirez has several individual accolades such as Silver Slugger Awards, multiple top-ten MVP finishes, and nice totals such as 1,037 runs scored, 981 RBI, and 59.9 fWAR.
Perhaps the average fan is not aware of Ramirez’s impact on Cleveland and baseball, but HOF voters are. In all likelihood, Ramirez will be enshrined at Cooperstown with a Guardians hat in a few years.
NEXT: Analyst Reacts To Guardians' Surprising Start Against Yankees
