Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez is continuing to add to his Cooperstown-bound career and might be able to add one of the best honors in Major League Baseball.
Ramírez was named a finalist for the American League MVP on Monday, marking it the fourth time he has been a finalist for the award.
Despite his impressive performances, Ramírez has yet to win the award, having finished in second place in 2020 and securing third place twice in 2017 and 2018.
Ramírez belted 30 home runs, swiped 34 bases and posted an impressive .863 OPS this past season. However, his most significant contribution was leading the Guardians back to the playoffs.
“One of baseball’s most consistent producers, Ramírez recorded his second straight 30-40 season in 2025, finishing with 30 home runs, 44 stolen bases and a .283/.360/.503 slash (137 OPS+) over 158 games for the Guardians, who came back from a 15 1/2-game deficit to win the AL Central,” MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan and David Adler wrote on Monday. “The switch-hitting third baseman has never been the MVP, but he has now placed in the top six in the voting seven times, and this year would make four top-three finishes.”
Cleveland went through a wild season filled with numerous ups and downs, but Ramírez was the crucial factor in keeping everything together and leading the team to win the A.L. Central for the second consecutive year.
Ramírez has been a consistent presence on the Guardians throughout the years, and manager Stephen Vogt understands the privilege it is to watch him play every night.
“It’s truly a pleasure that we get to watch him every night,” Vogt said on Sept. 29, via Jeff Schudel. “Jose Ramirez is one of the best players on the planet. He leads our guys. He makes people better. It’s the teammate, just as much as the player, that does it for me.”
The other two finalists for MVP are New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.
Judge wrapped up the season with an impressive total of 179 hits, 53 home runs and an OPS of 1.144. In comparison, Raleigh finished with 147 hits, 60 home runs and an OPS of .948.
Ramírez is likely to finish in third place again, with Judge and Raleigh enjoying better statistical seasons. However, Ramírez is the MVP of the Guardians every year, and without him, the team wouldn’t be in a position to consistently make the playoffs.
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