Jose Ramirez: Where does the Guardians star rank among the best players in the MLB?

When it comes to naming the best players in the league, Jose Ramirez may not be the first name to come to mind, but this needs to change. The electric third baseman for the Cleveland Guardians has been one of the top players in the MLB over the past few seasons.

From 2017-2022, Jose Ramirez ranked among the top in every major category when compared to the rest of the MLB. Since 2017, he is 3rd in RBIs (546), 6th in stolen bases (132), and 11th in home runs (173).

In that same time frame, Ramirez has been selected to the All-Star team four times, along with four Silver Slugger Awards. He has also finished within the top six in MVP voting four times, finishing as the runner-up in 2020.

"It’s crazy how Jose Ramirez might still be the most underrated player in baseball" - Steven Kwan's Hat

While the likes of Bryce Harper, Jose Altuve, and Freddie Freeman may be more widely known, Ramirez has been a superior player since 2017 according to fangraphs.com. Since 2017, the Guardians' third baseman ranks 4th in WAR (wins above replacement) with 34.2. He sits only behind Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, and Mike Trout in that time.

Last season, Ramirez finished the season with 29 home runs, 126 RBIs, and a .280 batting average. His 126 RBIs ranked him 3rd in the entire MLB behind only Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge, while also finishing 2nd in the league with 44 doubles.

"So here’s to Jose Ramirez, my favorite Cleveland player of all time. Let’s hope that JRam gets that Series win he so deserves for staying, and this town will MELT…(NOT A SPONSOR)…" - Jim Pete

While he may not mind being the most underrated player in the MLB, it's time for fans across the world to give Jose the respect he deserves.

Jose Ramirez and the Cleveland Guardians reach an extension agreement

Earlier in the 2022 season, Ramirez had signed a 7-year / $141,000,000 contract with the Cleveland Guardians. The deal is $141,000,000 guaranteed, with an annual average salary of $20,142,857. The deal will keep Jose with the Guardians until the end of the 2028 season.

Fans of the team were unsure if management would be able to keep their superstar third baseman following the departure of Francisco Lindor. Now, it appears that Ramirez may spend the remainder of his career with the Guardians. He signed with the team as an amateur free agent on November 26th, 2009.