Home runs on consecutive days could signal Jose Ramirez is ready to break out in a big way

The relatively underwhelming start to the 2024 season has been well-documented for Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez. With a .230/.278/.432/.710 super slash line through 34 games, Ramirez has not yet played up to the level that everyone, including himself, knows that he is capable of.With that being said, there is a good chance that Ramirez has begun to turn the corner over the past couple of days. 

Ramirez has hit home runs in back-to-back games for the first time this season, homering against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday and the Detroit Tigers on Monday, both games that the Guardians won. The home runs from Ramirez in the two contests were both of the go-ahead variety, breaking Hall of Famer Larry Doby's franchise record of 86.  

The last time Ramirez homered in consecutive contests was on August 26th and 27th of last year in Toronto, which happened to be the third and final time he accomplished this feat in 2023. 

With Ramirez homering two days in a row, this could be a sign of his performance at the plate finally turning around. The 31-year-old switch-hitter is yet to have an extended run of elite production while in the batter's box. Sure, there has been a run or two where he has performed as expected, but nothing really to indicate that he is going to put together a lengthy MVP-caliber stat line.

If Ramirez is on the cusp of breaking out, it could not come at a better time. The Guardians just lost their leadoff hitter, Steven Kwan, to a hamstring injury that will keep him out of action for four weeks. Replacing his production at the top of the order is not going to be easy, but Ramirez coming around could make this task a lot less daunting. It would take a substantial amount of pressure off the rest of the lineup to perform, and that could not come at a better time, with the Guardians about to face American League Central opponents in nine of their next 12 games. With Ramirez looking like he is locked in at the plate, coming away with wins against divisional opponents looks a lot more possible than it would be if he were scuffling.