CLEVELAND -- To think, José Ramírez’s day began by figuring out how to put protective glasses over his camera lens to get pictures of the moon passing by the sun. It ended with him eclipsing Al Rosen in the club’s record books.
The Guardians needed some breathing room, and their All-Star third baseman was there to deliver the big blow. Ramírez smacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning against former Clevelander Bryan Shaw to help lift the Guardians to a 4-0 home-opening win over the White Sox at Progressive Field. Not only have the Guardians now won five contests in a row, the team has taken eight of its first 10 games for the first time since 2011.
“It’s what the fans want to see,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We got a win, José Ramírez hits a homer, starting pitcher goes into the sixth and Emmanuel Clase finishes the game. That’s what people want to see.”
This is what fans have become accustomed to seeing. Anyone in Cleveland knows that Ramírez is the heartbeat of this lineup. On any given night, there’s a high probability you’re going to witness him do something special. On Monday, he did just that.
Ramírez's blast moved him into sole possession of first place for the most home runs hit by a third baseman in franchise history with 173, breaking a tie with Rosen. It also marked his 100th career homer at Progressive Field.
“I feel like every game he’s playing, he’s breaking a record,” Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez said. “For us, it’s easy to follow him and follow the way that he plays.”
For those who watch him every night, it’s clear how special Ramírez is. All it takes is a quick glance at his Baseball Reference page to see that. Yet somehow, even his peers recognize that he’s one of the most underrated players in the Majors. His former teammate Michael Brantley joined Corey Kluber at Progressive Field on Monday to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Before Brantley took center stage, he made sure to let everyone know what kind of player Cleveland has in Ramírez.
“I personally don't think he's got the credit he deserves yet,” Brantley said. “I think he's so underrated for all that he does, from hitting [to] defense and especially [as a] baserunner. He does some crazy stuff, but at the same time, it is phenomenal to watch. It brings energy to the dugout. I just remember when he was young, he was the same guy, kind of bebopping around, high energy. And he stayed the same, just kept working. I think he's super underrated. What a phenomenal talent.”
Whether it’s doubles, homers, batting average or slugging percentage, Ramírez consistently puts up similar numbers year after year. So far, he’s logged at least one hit in nine of Cleveland’s 10 games with two homers. And even with that, he hasn’t technically hit his usual stride just yet. But with the way the club has looked, there are many reasons to believe that Ramírez will be able to get even hotter as the weeks go on.
Everything has gone in Cleveland’s favor thus far this season. The starters have stepped up despite being without Gavin Williams to start the year and now Shane Bieber for the remainder of the season. The bullpen has been reliable even without Sam Hentges or Trevor Stephan. But the biggest surprise (and benefit to Ramírez) is that this offense has been more productive out of the gate than it has in the past few years. The Guardians have received production from every spot on the order, taking the pressure off Ramírez, who has been used to doing all the heavy lifting.
When he can relax, moments like Monday’s blast come much more easily. Assuming the bats can continue at this rate -- they entered the day leading the Majors with a +32 run differential -- it can take away all the pressures that have been on Ramírez in the past. But no matter what, he’ll remain the heartbeat of this lineup, someone who constantly finds ways to etch his name into record books.
“If he was on a big-market team, he would be the best player in baseball in my opinion,” Guardians outfielder Tyler Freeman said this spring. “He’s very underrated. In my eyes, he still is the best player in baseball.”