Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez gets “deceiving” tag from Mets legend for multiple reasons

One doesn’t need to check the stats to know that Jose Ramirez is the heart of the Cleveland Guardians. With a successful stolen base attempt in the series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, Ramirez became only the second switch-hitter besides Carlos Beltran to have 250 home runs and 250 stolen bases in an MLB career.

As he received his much-deserved praise, former New York Mets legend is making a good case for Ramirez's Hall of Fame selection.

During Sunday's appearance on MLB Network, former MLB All-Star and veteran broadcaster Al Leiter dropped a "deceiving" tag on Ramirez, who doesn't look like someone who could take over the game and yet does it more often than anyone else.

"He’s a dangerous hitter — we know that," Leiter said. "And it’s a little deceiving, because when you see his body type, you don’t think of him as a guy who’ll take over a game with a bat. But right there is a perfect example of winning baseball. He’s been doing it for so long.

"The residual effect on other players, especially young guys coming up — they always look over to the superstar, right? Especially when things aren’t going well. ‘Hey, how’s José? What’s he like? What’s going on with him?’ And that consistency — man, I can’t say enough. This guy. He’s on a Hall of Fame career path."

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Jose Ramirez missed Saturday's game after he suffered an ankle sprain on Friday. He returned to the lineup on Sunday.

Jose Ramirez on reaching 250 HRs and 250 SBs, matching Carlos Beltran

Switch-hitter Carlos Beltran has 435 home runs and 312 stolen bases. Jose Ramirez is following him, with 260 home runs and 251 stolen bases.

Talking to the press after the Guardians' 4-3 victory against the Minnesota Twins, Ramirez said:

“At that moment, the last thing you’re thinking is any milestones or personal records. To me it was where we had the chance to get running, obviously get in a position where I can score with a base hit given the situation of the game.”

Not only that, but Ramirez is also the first Cleveland star to join the 250-250 club.

In the 2025 season, Jose Ramirez is hitting .265/.318/.436 along with five home runs, eight stolen bases and 15 RBIs. The six-time All-Star will hope to lead the Guardians in the World Series this season.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Ruth John S