Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez Among The Last of a Dying Breed

Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez is one of the most unique players in baseball.

Aug 1, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits a sacrifice fly during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez is one of the biggest stars in baseball, even if his name doesn't carry the cachet of an Aaron Judge or a Mike Trout.

Through the first week of August, Ramirez is slashing .282/.334/.545 with 29 home runs and 94 RBI over 473 plate appearances.

If not for Judge's thoroughly inhuman 2024 campaign, Ramirez would be right in the thick of the American League MVP race.

But there is something that makes Ramirez very different from most of his peers: he's a switch hitter.

There was a time when switch hitters were much more common in the major leagues, but now, Ramirez is among the last of a dying breed.

Through the end of June, only 58 switch hitters had logged a plate appearance, via Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. That's the lowest number in half a century.

It also makes Ramirez that much more unique.

While Ramirez is absolutely mashing left-handed pitching (1.119 OPS) while merely being solid against righties (.775 OPS) in 2024, his career numbers display a more even spread.

Since breaking into the big leagues in 2013, Ramirez has slashed .276/.356/.503 against right-handers while slashing .286/.346/.504 versus lefties.

Considering that switch hitters typically heavily favor one side of the plate over the other (like Ramirez himself this season), that make Ramirez all the more impressive as a slugger.

The 31-year-old just made his sixth All-Star appearance and is trending toward setting a career high in homers. His number to beat is 39, which he achieved in 2018. He also has a chance of shattering his lifetime best mark for RBI, which sits at 126.

Ramirez has been surging since the All-Star break, slashing .344/.389/.703 with six long balls and 17 RBI through 17 games.

Meanwhile, the Guardians own the best record in baseball and while face the Arizona Diamondbacks in a doubleheader on Wednesday.