The Guardians don’t need Jose Ramirez to be superhuman right now. They need him to be good enough.
With Cleveland fighting for a postseason spot in the American League, every night carries weight. That means every swing from Ramirez matters, too. For this team to push toward October, he has to give them something in the range of 70 or 80 percent of the production fans have come to expect from him.
That’s a much lower bar than the one Ramirez usually clears. This season has been rough by his standards: a .243 batting average and a .385 slugging percentage just don’t fit the profile of a hitter this accomplished. He also hasn’t finished a season with a slugging percentage under .400 since 2015.
The obvious reason is the broken hamate bone in his left hand, which required surgery in June. Ramirez hasn’t looked like himself in 2026 overall, but there have been signs lately that he’s beginning to turn a corner.
Since August 15, he has hit .333/.356/.452 for a 119 wRC+, not counting Friday’s opener against Kansas City. Over that stretch, he has added five doubles and driven in seven runs. The big takeaway is simple: the bat has started to wake up a bit.
No one should be expecting the old Ramirez to suddenly reappear in full force. A 140+ wRC+ season, 35-homer power, and enough speed to swipe 40 bags is not a realistic ask at this point, especially with him turning 34 next month and still not fully healthy.
The power won’t be the same this year. Even so, there are encouraging signs in the underlying contact. His exit velocities have started to climb over the last couple of weeks, and that’s showing up in the form of more doubles, better contact, and more overall production.
If Ramirez can keep operating at something close to the level he’s shown since August 15 - around a 120-wRC+ pace, with a few stolen bases and a feel for finding the gaps - the Guardians should be satisfied. As he gets healthier, the numbers could improve further, but the key is getting back to a workable floor.
So the expectation is straightforward: better than what Ramirez has delivered for most of 2026, but not quite his peak form.
In Other News...
Guardians Prospect Saga Took A Shocking Turn Before He Ever Signed
The Guardians thought they had lined up a promising addition when they reached a $2.8 million deal with a switch-hitting infielder known as David Severino, a player they had tracked as part of their international pipeline. Instead, an MLB investigation blew up the agreement before it ever became official, uncovering that the prospect had used fake documents and a fabricated gravesite to support a false identity and age.
What makes the situation especially jarring for Cleveland is that the club is not facing discipline, even as the player has been suspended for the fraud. Severino, whose real name is Daury David Severino Damaso, is now expected to sign for a much smaller bonus, leaving the Guardians to move on from a saga that never even reached the point of a signature. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Legal Crisis Just Raised A Bigger Question For Emmanuel Clase
The legal clock keeps moving for Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, and the latest ruling in Brooklyn did little to change the basic shape of the case. A federal judge denied the pitchers requests for separate trials in their November proceedings tied to an alleged pitch-rigging scheme, while also turning aside the governments bid to remove Clases attorney from the matter. Both pitchers have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, leaving the Guardians facing another off-field storyline that is now officially headed toward trial.
For Cleveland, the immediate issue is less about courtroom maneuvering than about what this means for Clases future and the teams ability to plan around him. The case is scheduled to begin on November 2, and with the judge keeping the players joined together, the proceedings will unfold under a spotlight that could shape not only the next few weeks but the larger question hanging over one of the clubs most prominent pitchers. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Playoff Push Suddenly Has A New X Factor
The Guardians came home from an undefeated road trip with one month left before the postseason, and the timing only sharpened the sense that their push has a little more substance than a hot streak. Steven Kwan and Chase DeLauter have helped keep the lineup on base in August, while Parker Messick has settled in as a reliable starter with a 2.54 ERA over 33 starts, giving Cleveland a rotation piece it can actually lean on as the games start to matter more.
Even more important, the bullpen has been carrying real weight. Since August 10, it has posted a 1.52 ERA and sat near the top of several pitching categories, the kind of run that can change the entire shape of a stretch drive. For a club trying to hold momentum into September, that relief work may end up being the difference between simply hanging around and turning this into a legitimate playoff push. [Read more 🡒]