CLEVELAND -- No matter how slow of a start the Guardians’ offense got off to at the start of the season, José Ramírez consistently proves why he has been and could easily be an All-Star third baseman yet again.
There have been a handful of times this year that Guardians manager Terry Francona has mentioned the pressure Ramírez puts on himself to do more than he needs to, especially when the offense is scuffling. Starter Aaron Civale mentioned Tuesday night how hard Ramírez can be on himself. It’s the baggage that can come along with being the most important piece of a roster.
Yet, no matter what he’s going through, Ramírez somehow finds a way to deliver, and he did it again in multiple ways in the 3-2, walk-off win in the 10th inning against the A’s at Progressive Field on Tuesday night.
“We’re seeing José be José,” Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero.
"José being José" can mean various things.
The obvious is his bat. Even when he doesn’t seem to be producing at the same rate he has in the past, he entered the night with a .285 average and an .851 OPS -- all before a 2-for-5 night at the plate. In his last 21 games, he’s gone 31-for-95 (.326 average) with 14 extra-base hits and 19 RBIs. On Tuesday, he kept his team alive by plating the tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI double to left.
“He just always allows us to have a chance to win, whether by his baserunning, by his defense, by his hitting,” Giménez said. “We know whenever he’s playing, he always gives that energy, we always have a chance to compete and win games.”
Whether Ramírez ends up being named a starter for the 2023 All-Star Game that will be held on July 11 at T-Mobile Park remains to be seen. He’s currently in fourth place in the fan vote among American League third basemen and in order to be a finalist, he’d need to be in the top two. Fans have until noon E.T. on Thursday to cast their votes. But the third baseman is an All-Star for this team.
What makes Ramírez an All-Star is that he provides in more than just one way. His bat is a big boost for this lineup and oftentimes it’s the club’s saving grace. But his ability to steal bases and swipe the extra bag when the defense isn’t paying attention on a routine ball takes him to the next level. And when his glove can back up all of his other talents, he’s one of the most well-rounded players in the league.
All of that was on display on Tuesday.
Ramírez avoided disaster by not sliding into third base in the bottom of the 10th inning on a bunt by Tyler Freeman, which almost cost the team an out and its lead runner. It was a rare baserunning miscue for him. But aside from that moment that almost went awry, Ramírez was the glue that kept the Guardians together.
In the bottom of the seventh, he tied the game with an RBI double. In the eighth, he snagged a 106.8 mph line drive, reaching across his body and robbing Carlos Pérez of possible extra bases. In the ninth, when the Guardians were desperate to preserve the 2-2 tie, Ramírez made an impressive back-handed pick on a short hop before firing across the diamond to end the frame.
“His head’s always in it,” Civale said. “He’s always ready. He’s never mulling over at-bats. You never see him take at-bats out into the field and that’s truly impressive to do that, especially considering how hard he can be on himself sometimes. As soon as he leaves the dugout, it’s defense first and it’s a good example to set for everyone else.”
Emmanuel Clase leads the Majors with 21 saves. Josh Naylor has outpaced all AL first basemen in RBIs. Cleveland has seen a few players put together a solid first half of the 2023 season. But if the club is looking for an All-Star, it doesn’t need to look further than third base.
“It feels really good,” Guardians reliever Enyel De Los Santos said through Rivero. “It feels really good to have those types of teammates.”