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Cleveland Guardians: José Ramírez named AL Player of the Week

By Steve DiMatteo

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 15: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a double during the ninth inning of the home opener against the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field on April 15, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Ramirez's double was his 1000 career hit. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The Giants defeated the Guardians 4-1. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 15: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a double during the ninth inning of the home opener against the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field on April 15, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Ramirez's double was his 1000 career hit. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The Giants defeated the Guardians 4-1. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 15: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a double during the ninth inning of the home opener against the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field on April 15, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Ramirez’s double was his 1000 career hit. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The Giants defeated the Guardians 4-1. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 15: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a double during the ninth inning of the home opener against the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field on April 15, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Ramirez’s double was his 1000 career hit. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The Giants defeated the Guardians 4-1. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Fresh off signing the largest contract in Cleveland Guardians history, third baseman José Ramírez was named the American League Player of the Week.

There has been so much written about the hot start of rookie Steven Kwan and even the emergence of Owen Miller that it seems like José Ramírez’s own scorching start has been glossed over to some extent.

Well, the baseball world certainly has noticed, as Ramírez has been named the American League Player of the Week for the first week of the season (and for the fifth time in his career).

Ramírez has been locked in from the get-go, hitting .457/.500/.886 with 16 hits in 35 at-bats and a major-league-leading 15 RBIs. With Myles Straw and now Kwan hitting in front of him, Ramírez has been blessed with ample opportunities to drive in runs, putting him right in the very, very early MVP conversation where he belongs.

Ramírez, of course, has been a mainstay in the MVP voting since 2016, finishing second in 2020 and third in both 2017 and 2018. He finished sixth in the race last season, and looks like he’s primed and ready to finally get over the hump and win this elusive award. If the Guardians offense can maintain the improvement it’s showed over the early part of the year – and if a struggling Franmil Reyes can work out of his funk and provide more support in the cleanup spot – Ramírez might just finally pull it off.

It’s been a heck of a week for Ramírez, who also signed a five-year extension which, combined with his current deal, comes out to a seven-year, $141 million contract and will likely keep him in a Cleveland Guardians for the rest of his career.

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