Typically, José Ramírez is the one being labeled among the most underrated players in MLB. But Tuesday, he deflected that honor toward a breakout teammate.
While answering questions from fans and host Lauren Gardner on Chatting Practice Powered by Zoom Events on Tuesday, the reigning AL Player of the Week was asked who he thinks is the most underrated player in the league. Through interpreter Agustin Rivero, he quickly crowned right-handed pitcher Gavin Williams.
J-Ram may have a point. Williams has been stellar to begin 2026, pitching to a 2.12 ERA in five starts, including 40 strikeouts in just 29 2/3 innings. He has two separate outings with double-digit punchouts already this season, and he hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs since he allowed three to the Mariners on March 27.
For the 26-year-old Williams, this is more of the same after he posted a 3.06 ERA in a career year in 2025. He made 31 starts and pitched 167 2/3 innings, more than doubling his previous career-highs of 16 starts and 82 innings. He even came two outs shy of a no-hitter against the Mets on Aug. 6.
Ramírez had fun with the rest of the interview, including entertaining answers about his favorite MLB player and who has the most unhittable pitch. He said Shohei Ohtani is his favorite player, and who can blame him?
Meanwhile, the league's nastiest pitch belongs to Braves ace Chris Sale’s slider, according to Ramírez. The Cleveland third baseman has been fairly quiet against Sale in his career, going 9-for-33 with a double and an RBI. But six of those hits have actually come on the slider, and he’s never even whiffed against the pitch! Game respects game, though. Sale had a 39.8% whiff rate on the slider in 2025, and he’s been in the upper 30s or low 40s pretty much every year of his career.
Finally, Ramírez left any young fans who were watching with some great advice on how to always hustle on the field, something that has helped him earn seven All-Star appearances.
“You've got to keep the grind. It's important to love the game, but also to listen to your parents and keep studying. I think all those things come together to be a good baseball player,” Ramírez said. “And most importantly, always listen to your heart. You've got to keep hustling, keep grinding. And don't listen to anybody who says that you may not do anything in the game. Just keep grinding, keep working and some good things are going to happen to you.”