Jose Ramirez Sets Guardians Record - Again - in Cleveland Loss

Jose Ramirez is the best player in Major League Baseball that non-baseball fans don't know.

Bryce Harper. Juan Soto. Mike Trout. Shohei Otani. Aaron Judge. Even non-sports fans know those names. But Ramirez has plied his trade not on the coasts, but in the old Rust Belt in Cleveland.

The Guardians third baseman has logged seven top-10 Most Valuable Player finishes, including five in the top five. Last year, Ramirez batted to the tune of a .279/.335/.537 slash line with 39 home runs, 39 doubles and 118 RBIs.

This year, he's been even better.

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

According to OptaStats, Ramirez is the only player since 1920 to lead his team in hits, doubles, home runs, runs scored, RBIs and stolen bases through 65 team games. He's the only player in 105 years, but he's now done it an incredible three times, doing so last year and in 2022.

This year with the Guardians, Ramirez has logged 79 knocks, 14 doubles, 12 homers, 41 runs, 32 RBIs and 18 stole bases. Steven Kwan is second in hits and stole bases, while he and Gabriel Arias are tied with Ramirez for the team lead in doubles. Kyle Manzardo is one home run behind and he and Carlos Santana are two RBIs behind. Santana and Kwan trail Ramirez in runs by nine.

At 34-31, the Guardians are one game behind the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays for the final AL wild-card spot. Cleveland lost Monday to fellow Ohioan team, the Cincinnati Reds.