Cleveland Indians: Jose Ramirez’s steady rise to prominence

Cleveland Indians fans have witnessed steady improvements in nearly every statistical category from Jose Ramirez since he arrived in 2013.

As the Thanksgiving holiday comes to a close and everyone shifts their focus to Christmas, Cleveland Indians fans can take some time to reflect on what they are thankful for when it comes to this team.

This team is filled with individuals and moments for fans to be thankful for, but one individual stands out above the rest, at least to me. That individual is Jose Ramirez.

It is hard to think of many Indians players who have had the exponential rise to stardom that Ramirez has had since debuting as a utility guy back in 2013. Since then, Ramirez has seen increases in nearly every statistical category, including his position among AL MVP finalists.

2017 saw Ramirez have career highs in games played, at-bats, runs, hits, extra-base hits, home runs, RBI, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, WAR and so on. Think of a stat and Ramirez improved en route to finishing third in AL MVP voting. He made his first All-Star Game and added a Silver Slugger Award as well.

A season like this is usually enough for fans to worry about Ramirez’s rising value and popularity in front offices around the league, but we don’t even have to worry about that. Ramirez signed a five-year extension early in 2017, and for an affordable price. The team also has options in 2022 and 2023, which is just insane when considering how great Ramirez has been so far. One would think he will only get better.

It is possible Ramirez will be named AL MVP sometime before 2022, and he should be a fixture in the All-Star Game for years to come as long as he stays healthy.

With all the stress of trying to get Carlos Santana re-signed, fans can look to Ramirez as a source of relief heading into 2018. Francisco Lindor is also under team control through 2021, but there is still the worry about what it will take to keep him in Cleveland.

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The offseason is a time for rumors and worry, but fans can enjoy the holiday season knowing that Jose Ramirez is ready to return following a great season in 2017. And he will continue to return as the Indians continue on as a top contender for a World Series pennant.