It's time for the baseball to start appreciating Guardians superstar José Ramírez

In a league obsessed with the next big thing, José Ramírez remains the most underrated superstar in baseball. We've seen it every year; he's consistently ranked below his peers in preseason lists, yet every year, he doesn't just meet expectations — he absolutely crushes them.

While the national media debates who the best player in the game is, we in Cleveland know the answer is the player who serves as the heart and soul of our city.

José Ramírez's newest statistical feat shows just how impressive of a baseball player he is

What more can be said about the man they call J-Ram? His stats speak for themselves, but a deeper look at his 2025 season reveals just how historically great he is.

With a stellar .284 batting average, 30 home runs, 40 stolen bases, and 101 runs scored, his numbers are on another level. He's also posted a monster .360 on-base percentage and a .507 slugging percentage, leading to a phenomenal .867 OPS. This is not just a great season; it's a testament to his unique combination of power, speed, and hitting ability that simply has no peer in today’s game.

On Thursday, Ramírez recorded his 726th career extra-base hit, which broke Earl Averill's franchise record.

“I’m surprised he didn't do it earlier,” Austin Hedges said after the game, per MLB.com's Tim Stebbins. “That record is going to be untouchable by the time he's done playing.”

Ramírez is the definition of consistency and the perfect example of a player who continues to get better with age. He is a perennial MVP candidate, and you could argue that his value to the Guardians is more important than anyone else's to their respective team. He is the quiet leader who sets the tone every single day, both on and off the field.

And, as mentioned by Hedges, he's not going anywhere. He's under contract until 2028 on one of the most team-friendly contracts in MLB history, and continues to grow as a player. He's been worth at least 4.9 bWAR in each of the last five seasons, and has earned an All-Star nod and MVP votes in each of those seasons.

He started his Guardians career as a light-hitting utility infielder, but has since turned into arguably the best player in franchise history.

He's had his fingerprints all over the Guardians' wild run toward the postseason, and has helped lead the offense at numerous points when it was beginning to struggle.

The numbers are undeniable. The impact is immeasurable. Ramírez is the kind of player a franchise is built around, and he has already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players to ever wear a Cleveland uniform. It's time for the rest of the baseball world to catch up to what we already know: The GOAT resides right here in our city.