Ramirez Drives Streaking Tribe
While the Cavaliers seem to be in turmoil next door at Progressive Field, the Indians are catching fire. They have jumped into 1st place in the AL Central after sweeping the Twins and winning eight out of nine games. There is a saying in baseball that you are only as good as your next day’s starting pitcher, which is completely accurate, but the Indians’ success seems to hinge on Jose Ramirez. He has been red hot at the plate while being the catalyst for the streaking Tribe.
Ramirez leads the Indians batting .322 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI this season, which is impressive, but his numbers during the nine-game stretch are insane. During those nine games, Ramirez hit .548 with 23 total base hits. He had multiple hits in nine straight games which are the most in Indians history since Roy Hughes in 1936. The only Indian with a longer streak was “Shoeless” Joe Jackson in 1912, who had multiple hits in 11 games in a row. Ramirez was named AL Player of the Week for the week of June 18.
After a strong season last year with the Tribe batting .312, Ramirez is looking to take a step beyond that. He has already matched his total from last season with 11 home runs this year. His WAR (wins above replacement) leads the team with a 2.4. Francisco Lindor is a distant second with a WAR of 1.6. Even more important than any stat I can recite to you, what makes Jose special is how he performs in the clutch. He has repeatedly come to the plate with runners on base late in games and delivered with clutch hits. Some players put up huge numbers but shrink in big situations. Ramirez definitely doesn’t shy away from those big situations.
The 24-year-old third baseman Ramirez and shortstop Lindor are the cornerstones for the Indians’ future. They are making the Indians a contender now and for the foreseeable future. As of writing this, the Indians are up by 2.5 games in the AL Central with a series against the 2nd place Twins this weekend. This is a chance to really get a hold of the central.
It’s late June and the Boys of Summer are now in the spotlight with all the other sports in the midst of their offseasons. The Cavaliers will figure out their current mess, but in the meantime, enjoy all the spoils that a Cleveland summer has to offer. I will be down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario cheering on the Tribe, I hope you will all join me.
By: Jake Rossler
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