Jose Ramirez delivered the biggest swing of Game 5, and the Cleveland Guardians needed every bit of it.
With the Guardians beating the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Saturday in the American League Division Series, Ramirez came through with an improbable two-run homer on a pitch that looked like it might hit the ground. Cleveland’s pitching, led by Gavin Williams, handled the rest.
Did José Ramírez unlock something with his swing? 🧐
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 12, 2026
DeRo points out the toe tap the Guardians' superstar used in his epic Game 5 home run against Sean Burke. pic.twitter.com/hspzvXiUQd
Ramirez’s season has not been simple. The seven-time All-Star battled injuries and struggled at the plate, but the postseason has brought out a different version of him. Now the Guardians are hoping that version follows them into the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Former player and current MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa pointed to one adjustment that may have helped unlock the moment. “Something I noticed, see him just set his front foot down?
I was like, ‘He doesn't normally do that, he's a leg-kick guy,'” DeRosa explained. “… Just making in-game adjustments to kind of slow the eyes down, that's what I love.
And for him to be able to pick that off the ground is just absolutely ridiculous.”
On Saturday, Ramirez scrapped the leg kick on that swing, and the change appeared to sharpen his timing just enough to handle a pitch buried toward the dirt. Getting the bat to it was impressive enough. Driving it over the right-field fence made it one of those swings that stops you cold.
That’s the edge Ramirez gives Cleveland when he’s locked in. If he keeps hitting like this, the Guardians will like their chances in the ALCS.
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 🡒]