Jose Ramirez inches closer to historic 40-40 season

Finding themselves in a 2-2 tie after the Cincinnati Reds broke an unwritten rule in what was a combined Perfect Game bid, the Cleveland Guardians found themselves in need of someone to step up to the plate and deliver the clutch hit they were looking for. Enter Jose Ramirez.

With two men on and two out in the bottom of the 8th, Ramirez stepped into the batter's box ready to do what he does best, come through when the Guardians need him most. In the second pitch of the at-bat in a 1-0 count, Ramirez would crush a 93 MPH fastball that caught way too much of the plate. This home run would give the Guardians a 5-2 lead, which would they end up holding on to despite things getting a little dicey in the 9th.

Coming out on top in the fashion is very encouraging to see, with the playoffs just about to begin, but the win is not what takes center stage here. This was the 38th home run of the season for Jose Ramirez, putting him within reach of becoming the second person this season, the third person in two seasons, and just the fourth player since 2006 to reach that mark. Of course, those other players mentioned here include Shohei Ohtani and his unprecedented 50-50 season this year, Ronald Acuna Jr. going 40-40 last year, and Alfonso Soriano reaching that mark nearly 20 years ago.

There may be only three games remaining on their schedule, but it has been clear for quite some time that Ramirez is doing everything he can to reach the 40-40 mark. Ramirez has been even more aggressive than the norm on the basepaths over the past couple of months, stealing bases at will and giving him the chance to get to 40-40 if his bat can keep up the pace. Hitting two homers in three games is something that Ramirez is more than capable of. The only question is whether he will actually be able to cap off what has been an incredible season.

The Guardians host the Houston Astros for three games at home beginning on Friday, where Jose Ramirez will get his next chance to draw closer to home run number 40 on the year.