José Ramírez added another milestone to a career that keeps stacking them, and the timing made it even better for the Guardians.
In Cleveland’s 5-3 win over the Athletics on Sept. 18, Ramírez went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs, pushing him to 1,000 RBIs for his career. The victory also helped the Guardians retake the lead in the American League Central race with eight games left.
That RBI total makes Ramírez the 12th active player to reach the mark, alongside Freddie Freeman, Paul Goldschmidt, Manny Machado, Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Nolan Arenado, Andrew McCutchen, Salvador Perez, Eugenio Suarez and Carlos Santana. He’s also only the second player in Cleveland franchise history to get there, joining Earl Averill, whose career ended in the early 1940s.
“Very important to thank God for that opportunity to play here in this organization and to be bale to achieve that,” Ramírez said through a team translator. “But the most important part is that we’re able to win today because you guys know what I really want to do here, which is win.”
The homer did more than put another notch in his résumé. It moved him within three home runs of the 300/300 club, a group so exclusive that only eight players in MLB history have made it there with both home runs and stolen bases.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said the numbers hit even harder when you break them into chunks.
“I like to use round numbers,” Vogt said. “It’s 10 years of 100 RBIs.
When you break it down that way, it’s incredible what he has accomplished, and he’s not even close to being done. And very few people get do it, and it’s really cool to be here to watch it.”
The milestone came during one of Ramírez’s more difficult stretches of the season. He has been working through hamate been surgery rehab, and the results have reflected that grind.
His 90 wRC+ would be the first time since he became a full-time player in 2016 that he’s been below league average. Since returning to the lineup on July 22, he’s hit .216 with a .567 OPS.
“I keep working on it every day,” Ramírez said. “I have to keep working in the training room every day because this type of injury is the type where one day you feel good, the next you don’t feel so well, but you have to keep grinding.”
Even with the production not matching his usual standard, Vogt said the Guardians still see exactly why Ramírez matters so much to the organization. The effort has remained constant, even when he hasn’t felt right.
“Even as he was coming back and we have to give him off days, he was not happy about it,” Vogt said. “He wants to play every day.
He wants to give us everything that he has on any given day. We know that there’s days where he’s not feeling good and he still goes out and gives 100 percent of what he has that day.
“It’s such a great example for our young guys to see that just because you’re not feeling 100 percent, it doesn’t mean you can’t go out and compete and contribute to help the team win.”
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Guardians Keep The Race Alive Despite One Concern From Saturday
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Still, there was at least one uneasy note buried in the victory. Tanner Bibee was not sharp, giving up six runs over 4.2 innings, and Cleveland had to lean on its bats to make sure the game never got away from it. The Guardians have earned the right to enjoy the winning streak, but with the margin for error shrinking, how they manage the rotation down the stretch will matter just as much as whether the offense keeps carrying its weight. [Read more 🡒]