MLB insider reminds everyone just how important José Ramírez is to Guardians

There are some players in MLB that just rise above their team. While the Yankees are one of the biggest brands in sports, you could argue that Aaron Judge has risen to have just as big of a profile thanks to the platform provided to him by playing in pinstripes. 

José Ramírez’s experience with the Guardians may be the exact opposite. While Ramírez has been one of the most productive players in MLB for the better part of the past decade, he flew under the radar for a good portion of that thanks to the fact that he plays for the small-market Guardians. 

In fact, it got to such a point that Judge’s manager once said that if he wanted to rip his arms off every time someone said that Ramírez was underrated. 

But just because Ramírez is a bigger name doesn’t mean that his level of importance has dropped off. Just the opposite, in fact. 

Over the weekend, FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray published a new all-30 story ranking one MLB player that every team needs to believe in entering the 2026 season. And he unsurprisingly picked Ramírez for his entry on the Guardians. 

“This one feels relatively obvious. Ramirez is by far and away the most important player on the Guardians and by signing him to a $175 million contract extension, ensures that he will end his career in Cleveland. At 33, he’s played in 13 seasons and has hit .279/.353/.504 with 285 home runs and 949 RBI, and has cemented his status as one of the best players in franchise history. His presence makes the Guardians a true postseason threat on an annual basis,” he wrote. 

Robert Murray shines additional light on just how important José Ramírez is to Guardians 

And he’s right. Picking Ramírez is obvious. 

But it's a good kind of obvious.

While Ramírez was clearly important to the Guardians before he signed his team-friendly extension in the offseason, you could argue that he became even more important afterward given that it all but confirms that he’s going to spend the rest of his career with Cleveland and will finish his career as the franchise leader in every category of significance. 

The past two seasons have been Ramírez at his best, as he’s almost single-handedly helped carry the Guardians into the postseason despite the fact they rolled out a lineup filled with holes. He’s made up for a variety of warts on the team’s roster, and it doesn’t look like things are going to change any time soon. 

Ramírez has also become a mentor for the team’s young players while also serving as a key piece of connective tissue in the team’s clubhouse. He’s everything you want in a franchise player for a fifth of the cost. 

And while the Guardians’ front office likely feels some additional pressure to use those savings to build around Ramírez, he’s proven that he’s one of baseball’s best at doing less with more. 

He’ll need to be at his best again if the Guardians want to three-peat in the American League Central.