Why Jose Ramirez Should Win The 2022 Hank Aaron Award
The Guardians and Jose Ramirez got some pretty cool news this afternoon after it was announced that Ramirez would be a finalist for the 2022 Hank Aaron Award. The award is given to a player in the American League and National League for the best offensive performance.
The other finalists for the AL are Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Rafael Devers, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Julio Rodriguez, and Mike Trout.
There are some fantastic baseball players on that list and it'll be a tough task to beat Judge and his 62 home runs, but Jose does still have a shot at winning the vote.
The first is you have to look at how consistently great was all season. His monthly batting average was:
- April - .342
- May - .261
- June - .291
- July - .265
- August - .272
- September -.229
Aug 19, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, he did dip toward the end of the season. However, the months before that were filled with consistently great offense.
Also, Aaron Judge may have hit almost double the amount of home runs that Ramirez did, but the two weren't far off from the total RBI. Judge finished the regular season with 131 and Ramirez finished with 126.
The two were just as impactful for their respective teams when looking at it this way.
Lastly, you have to take into account his injury when talking about the best offensive performance. Ramirez suffered a hand injury in mid-June that will need surgery to repair.
He knew that surgery was on the table for the last four months of the season, but still played through it and ended the season with 29 home runs.
Even if Ramirez doesn't win, that still won't take away from the amazing and incredible year that he put together at the plate.
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Read More:
Jose Ramirez's Injury Wouldn't Stop Him From Leading 2022 Guardians To Playoffs
Biggest Takeaways From Francona, Antonetti's Season Recap Press Conference
Guardians All-Star Jose Ramirez Named Gold Glove Award Finalist
Jose Ramirez To Get Surgery On Right Hand
Why We Should Be Grateful, Optimistic For Cleveland Guardians Baseball
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