Jose Ramirez He will continue to be one of the most feared hitters in baseball. There’s a reason he was voted one of the most underrated players in the game by his peers.
But Ramirez is off to an unusual start to the season for the Cleveland Guardians. It usually takes him a while to get back on track, as his career batting average in April was just .265. But his low number of strikeouts and walks indicate something is wrong with Ramirez’s game overall.
J-Ram currently has a K% of 11.2, which is about the same as his career average. But his walk rate of 5.6% is the lowest of any Ramirez in the last 10 years.
What makes all of this strange is that the Guardians’ batting lineup is actually doing a good job of producing runs. That means Ramirez shouldn’t feel the need to do too much to help his team win. It makes no sense for him to be as aggressive as he has been.
Another strange thing about Ramirez is that his OBP is .208 when pitchers start first. One of his strengths is that he can work things to his advantage. For example, if J-Ram’s OBP is .285, the count reverts to an even number and if the pitcher goes first, his OBP will be .240.
April 26, 2024. Cumberland, Georgia, USA. Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez, 11, is hit by a pitch in the first inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves at Trust Park. Required Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Dale Zanin-USA TODAY Sports
Stephen Vogt He acknowledged Ramirez’s struggles and, at times, bad luck to start the season. This is what he said regarding J-Ram’s first month of 2024.
“I think you just have to stick to your process like everyone else,” Vogt said. “That’s the thing about Josey. Whether he’s getting hits or not, he’s the same guy every day, coming into the game with the same mindset, same approach, and just keeps hitting the ball hard.”
Ramirez is a no-brainer given his career track record. Sure, it’s alarming to see some of these underlying numbers, but we’ve all seen how quickly J-Ram has the ability to get hot. That will only happen if he sticks with his approach and is a little more patient at the plate.
“He’s going to continue to do what he does and continue to be himself.”
