Guardians Front Office Remains Confident Despite José Ramírez's Slow Start

Through 61 games in the 2026 campaign, future Hall of Fame third baseman José Ramírez just simply hasn't looked like himself.

Slashing .228/.341/.397 with a .738 OPS across 223 at-bats while committing five defensive errors is certainly not where many expected Ramírez to be, especially after he signed another multi-year contract extension this past offseason.

Even so, prolonged slumps happen to every player, including some of the greatest to ever step on a baseball field. At the end of the day, stretches like this are part of the game.

Damn, man.

This is the most frustrated I’ve seen Jose Ramirez in a long time.

Just can’t find it so far this season. pic.twitter.com/US9N6MSlYf
— Jose (@GuardsBurner_) May 30, 2026

On Sunday, May 31, Cleveland Guardians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti spoke about how Ramírez's early struggles in 2026 aren't something the team at large views as a concern. Yes, would it be nice to see him contribute at a higher level? Of course. But eventually, he will get back to the form that made him so highly touted in recent years.

"I mean, he's hit into some bad luck, but if you look underneath the hood, there's lots of positive indicators, how he's been impacting the ball, the way he's managing the strike zone," Antonetti said. "Unfortunately, just a lot of his hard-hit balls right now are right at people. I think we've seen continued progress over the last few days since having more of the typical batted-ball profile, and, you know, a couple of them have found grass and others have just been in the fielder's gloves...

"But if he keeps on the path he's on, I think we'll look up at the end of the year and it'll be a typical Jose year for him."

Antonetti went on to share that the major leaps taken by rookies Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana have been nice cushions for the team. With them looking like potential future superstars, it helps relieve pressure from a player like Ramírez, especially when their play has helped lead to wins.

"You know, it's been really encouraging for us to see the contributions both Chase and Travis have made in the start of the season," he shared. "Both guys have obviously been a really big part of contributing to any offensive success we've had, and I think beyond the results, getting an opportunity to see the way in which they've approached those at-bats, their process, their preparation, continues to give us confidence that they'll be big parts of our offensive position player pool moving forward."

To begin the season, both Bazzana and DeLauter have ranked within the Top 5 in numerous team statistics at the plate. Such quick starts to their careers weren't expected, but have been a nice boost to the level at which the Guardians have been able to play.

When Ramírez returns to the consistently elite form he has displayed throughout his career, the Guardians could emerge as a legitimate contender.

Fortunately, following Antonetti's comments on Sunday, Ramírez put together a decent showing at the plate in the series finale against the Boston Red Sox. He was able to smack an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring Brayan Rocchio.

José Ramirez got it done somehow#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/jhapREQhsq
— SleeperGuardians (@SleeperGuards) May 31, 2026

He ended up getting around the bags and scored the then-go-ahead run. Unfortunately, Cleveland would surrender the lead a few innings later, but Ramírez showed progress on the offensive end, which was nice to see.

"Yeah, he had two hard-hit balls right at players the other day," manager Stephen Vogt began in his postgame press conference. "Hosey has been hitting the ball hard. It was nice to see one fall for him. You know we always joke that they even out, but they don't, at least not for Hosey right now. But he has had really good at-bats."

Ramírez will continue to search for ways to get back on track as the Guardians trot through the middle part of the campaign. Sitting seven games above .500 and holding a top spot in the American League Central, the Guardians won't look to slow down anytime soon.

However, the next few series will present tough tasks, not just for Ramírez to get into a groove, but for the team at large. They'll take on the New York Yankees twice and the Texas Rangers once.

The first day back in action will be Tuesday, June 2, from the Bronx, as the Guardians and Yankees clash at 7:05 p.m. EST.

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