Jose Ramirez Is ‘Everything You Could Want In A Ballplayer,’ Guardians News

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt gives Jose Ramirez the ultimate compliment.

It could be said 100 or 1,000 times but it still wouldn’t be enough. Jose Ramirez is such a special player and the Cleveland Guardians are lucky that he’s on their team. 

Stephen Vogt is getting the chance to watch J-Ram up close and every day for the first time. Needless to say, he hasn’t been disappointed with what he’s witnessed. This was made evident as Ramirez played a big role in Cleveland’s series victory over the Boston Red Sox. 

In the finale, he hit a grand slam after a 10-pitch at bat and caused plenty of chaos on the basepaths to score a much-needed insurance run.

Vogt was in awe of Ramirez’s performance after the game and gave him the ultimate compliment. 

“It’s just what he does. He makes stuff happen," said Vogt. "He steals a base, gets to third, and it looked like he wasn’t going to go, but then sees the pitcher and then realized he could make it [to home]. He’s head up, he’s aggressive, smart, he’s everything you could want in a ball player. 

Apr 25, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Jose Ramirez (11) hits a grand slam during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Vogt is referring to this sequence from Ramirez where he steals second and advances to third on the overthrow. Just a few pitches later, he stole home on another passed ball. Terry Francona would rave about Ramirez’s baseball IQ and this is now something Vogt is experiencing for himself. 

Ramirez did come into the series off to an unusually cold start for his standards. He was hitting .237, owned a .253 OBP, with a 12.7% strikeout rate before Tuesday. But the series finale was a perfect example of how he can impact a game even while in a slump.