Cleveland Indians: Should Jose Ramirez Be The AL MVP?
By Ryan Rosko
There Are Better Cases Elsewhere
Joe Russo
We have covered multiple times the ways that Ramirez has made an impact for the Indians. He is as clutch as it gets with runners on and his defensive versatility makes him the perfect Terry Francona player. But the AL MVP? No, not quite.
There are at least two guys in Baltimore with stronger cases (Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo). Two more cases may be in Toronto (Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson). What about Houston’s Jose Altuve or Boston’s Mookie Betts?
Heck, even Cleveland’s Mike Napoli might have a better case. We all love Ramirez, but an AL MVP candidate? Really? No, not right now.
More from Cleveland Guardians
- Emmanuel Clase is not struggling for the Cleveland Guardians in 2023
- 3 teams the Cleveland Guardians should trade Shane Bieber to
- Zach Plesac’s tenure with the Cleveland Guardians will not be fondly remembered
- Terry Francona continues to pad his historic resume during Cleveland Guardians tenure
- Don’t Miss One of Ohio’s Biggest Sportsbook Promos (Unlock $1,250 Bonus at Caesars!)
Nick Dudukovich
No one in their wildest dreams though Jose Ramirez would be this good for the Indians. He won’t win the AL MVP, but his numbers are certainly worthy of consideration.
His season kind of reminds me of Michael Brantley’s 2013 campaign. That season, Brantley finished third in the voting. He was lights out hitting in clutch situations back then, slashing .364/.432/.500 with runners in scoring position and two outs. In the same scenario, Ramirez is slashing .423/.464/.596 entering August 19th.
He is also similar to Brantley in that he’s not a big home run hitter. Brantley had just 10 moonshots when he made his run at the MVP. Ramirez has nine.
More from Factory of Sadness
- Bet $1 on ANYTHING to Unlock $200 Guaranteed with Crazy Bet365 Ohio Promo!
- 3 reasons why the Cleveland Cavaliers have a good shot to win the East next year
- It might be too soon to say it but it looks like the Cleveland Guardians are back
- Are the Cleveland Browns a Top 10 roster heading into the 2023 season?
- Eastern Conference Solidarity: Back the Heat with $5 Bet, Win $200 Bonus INSTANTLY with DraftKings Promo
Like Brantley then, Ramirez now just impacts the game differently. He gets on base, is a threat to steal (20 stolen bases also entering Aug. 19th), and is an assassin in the clutch. Plus Ramirez helps at two positions of need: third base and left field.
The MVP will probably go to a player in a bigger market with bigger power numbers. Options include Mookie Betts in Boston who just slugged his 28th homer of the year and perennial favorite and current WAR leader Mike Trout, who’s stuck on a woeful Angels club. However, if voters wanted to think outside the box, they could give the hardware to Ramirez, and he’d certainly be deserving.
Next: Not Playing Regularly Early On Hurts