Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez has been close to winning the American League MVP award on multiple occasions.
He was third in both 2017 and 2018, and second in 2020, when he probably should have won over Jose Abreu.
Will 2022 be the year in which the dynamic slugger gets the award he deserves?
His teammate, Cal Quantrill, certainly thinks so.
“Cal Quantrill on José Ramírez: ‘He’s the most important player in baseball. There’s a lot of great players. He makes the biggest difference on any given team in baseball, I think, right now,'” Mandy Bell, who covers the Guardians for MLB.com, tweeted.
Cal Quantrill on José Ramírez: "He’s the most important player in baseball. There’s a lot of great players. He makes the biggest difference on any given team in baseball, I think, right now."
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) June 12, 2022
Players usually praise teammates effusively and often exaggerate in their compliments, but in this particular case, Quantrill does have a point.
Ramirez Is Vital For The Guardians
Ramirez may not be the most talented player in the league, or the most powerful.
He is certainly not the fastest, nor the best fielder.
However, take Ramirez off the Guardians’ roster, and God knows where they would be without him.
He may be the single most important player for a specific team in MLB.
He is vital for what the franchise is trying to do, and is the heart of the organization: fans love him, he agreed to sign a team-friendly extension to stay in Cleveland for years and help them build a decent ballclub, and he remains one of the most talented baseball players in the world.
Once again, he is a firm MVP candidate, currently slashing a .296/.394/.643 line with 16 home runs, 40 runs, 10 stolen bases, and a league-leading 62 RBI.
He is competing with an otherworldly season from Aaron Judge, but Ramirez could possibly win the MVP award with Cleveland this year.
NEXT: The Guardians Have A True Gem In Oscar Gonzalez