Guardians fans have every reason to be loud about José Ramírez right now, because what he’s doing at the plate is veering into impossible territory.
By the time Cleveland wrapped up the Chicago White Sox in Game 5 of the American League Division Series, Ramírez had stacked three straight postseason games that are already forcing veteran observers to reach for superlatives. It wasn’t just one big swing or one signature moment. It was a run of production that left people around the club sounding like they were watching something rare even by October standards.
On the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, Paul Hoynes didn’t bother softening the point.
“You have one game like that and you’re a postseason legend,” Hoynes said. “People will write songs about you. I mean, this guy had three straight games like that and that’s why they’re singing José, José, José in the stands.”
And they really were singing. After the Guardians advanced to the American League Championship Series, fans spilled onto East 4th Street in Cleveland chanting Ramírez’s name. Videos showed bars packed with people belting it out for a hitter who had just given them a stretch worth celebrating at full volume.
The strangest part may have come in Game 5 itself. In the fourth inning, with the score still close, Ramírez turned on White Sox pitcher Sean Burke and sent a ball out of the park that Statcast had never logged in postseason play since pitch tracking began in 2008. It was a home run on a pitch that was nine inches off the ground.
“Nobody but José Ramírez hits that ball out,” said beat reporter Joe Noga on the podcast. “The lowest pitch that he’s ever hit for a home run, according to Statcast, and the lowest pitch in postseason history since 2008.”
Burke’s pitch was, by all accounts, a quality breaking ball. It just didn’t matter. That’s been the theme with Ramírez lately: even the right pitch in the right spot can end up in the seats.
Tampa Bay pitcher Griffin Jax touched on that before Game 1 of the ALCS, describing Ramírez as someone who is “thinking along with you in the at-bat” and who understands tendencies, percentages and what’s likely to happen in any count.
That kind of command, paired with elite mechanics and the ability to punish pitches other hitters wouldn’t even dream of driving, has pushed Cleveland’s front office closer to a conversation fans have been waiting on for years.
Noga described the scene in the clubhouse after the win, saying Erik Sabrowski made his point with what he called colorful language. “build the (expletive) statue right now. And he’s 100% right.”
Pressed on the idea, Guardians president Chris Antonetti reportedly acknowledged the organization might finally take it seriously.
Hoynes summed up the moment this way: “Has he discovered the fountain of youth? Has he been touched by the angels that healed that hand? But whatever has happened, he’s a completely different hitter.”
The ALCS is only beginning, but Ramírez has already done enough to turn this October into his own showcase.
In Other News...
Guardians Face One ALCS Roster Choice That Could Shape This Series
With a seven-game battle against the Rays looming, Stephen Vogt is weighing one of those postseason roster calls that can quietly shape everything that follows. The Guardians are looking at whether to keep a deeper bench of position players or trim back toward a more traditional split between pitchers and hitters, a decision made more complicated by the grind of a long series and the need to cover every inning carefully.
Daniel Schneemanns spot is part of the conversation as the club searches for more right-handed punch, while the pitching side brings its own option if Cleveland wants another arm that can bridge multiple innings. Vogt does not have the luxury of treating this as a marginal choice, either, because the roster balance can affect late-game matchups, pinch-hit flexibility and how aggressively the Guardians can manage their bullpen over the next week. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Enter ALCS With One Huge Pitching Question
The American League Championship Series opens tomorrow in Tampa, and the matchup between the Rays and Guardians brings together two clubs built on pitching depth. Tampa Bay already has its Game 1 plan in place with Drew Rasmussen set to take the ball, while Cleveland is still sorting through its options after a five-game Division Series against the White Sox.
For the Guardians, the biggest decision is still hanging over the start of the series, and it could shape how they line up the rest of the rotation. Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, Foster Griffin, Joey Cantillo and Tanner Bibee are all in the mix as Cleveland works through its choice, a reminder that even at this stage of October, the margin for error starts with the first pitch. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Made One ALCS Roster Choice Fans Will Be Watching
With the American League Championship Series now set against the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland adjusted its roster in a way that says plenty about how it sees this matchup unfolding. The Guardians brought in pitcher Slade Cecconi and left utilityman Daniel Schneeman off the ALCS group, a move that tilts the bench a little more toward arms as the series shifts into a deeper October grind.
Cecconi spent most of the season in the rotation, making 21 starts, but has recently been working in a relief role and figures to give Cleveland another option out of the bullpen if this turns into a longer battle. Schneeman had already been absent from the ALDS games, and his omission here underscores how much roster flexibility matters once the games become compressed and every spot has to serve a very specific purpose. [Read more 🡒]