José Ramírez and Steven Kwan advance to Phase 2 of MLB’s All-Star voting

José Ramírez and Steven Kwan have been the heartbeat of the Guardians’ lineup this season. It looks like the rest of the baseball world took notice of that, as both players advanced to Phase 2 of MLB’s All-Star voting, which means that they’re both still in the running to start the All-Star Game at their respective position.

The latest update to the All-Star voting showcases how valuable Steven Kwan and José Ramírez are

While Ramírez has authored plenty of strong seasons across his 13 year MLB career, this year’s might be the finest of all of them. The 32-year-old is currently slashing .317/.378/.514 to go along with 13 home runs, 31 RBI, 16 doubles and 21 steals.

He’s tallied an OPS+ of 149 (which is second among third baseman with 200+ plate appearances), and he’s in the 84th percentile in Outs Above Average despite struggling in the field at the start of the year. 

He slugged his seventh career walk-off earlier this week, and has been steady for a Cleveland offense that’s been inconsistent so far this season. While he suffered a scary-looking injury when he was hit by a pitch yesterday, x-rays on his wrist were negative, and he’s day-to-day with a contusion. 

It doesn’t seem like it will be an injury that will impact his ability to build on his strong start to the season. 

Part of the reason for Ramírez’s success this season can be attributed to the strong play from Kwan, who continues to be one of the best tablesetters in all of baseball. 

Kwan’s hitting .306/.370/.429 this year with six home runs and 24 RBI to go along with 11 steals and 28 walks compared to just 29 strikeouts. Although he’s not doing as well as he did last year when he flirted with a .400 batting average in June, he’s still a weapon of mass production. He also has one of the best arms in baseball, though it’s worth noting that his range isn’t what it’s been in prior seasons. 

While the Guardians having two homegrown talents be on the cusp of making it to the All-Star Game (again) is impressive, it also speaks to the uncertainty in the rest of the lineup. Kwan and Ramírez are the only two everyday players in the lineup and they’re in line to be All-Stars. 

The rest of the lineup on the other hand…

Daniel Schneemann and Kyle Manzardo are the only other players on the roster who have an OPS+ above 100, and they have four players currently on the roster who have an OPS+ under 40.

While that stat doesn’t encompass the full impact a player can have in the field, it serves as a good descriptor of how ineffective the Guardians’ lineup has been this season. 

Still, it’s a lineup that’s on the cusp of having two All-Star starters for the second straight year, which is impressive in itself.