J-Ram Among Top AL Candidates in Latest MVP Poll

Cleveland Slugger is NL Standout Yet Again

MVP nod would make him first in Guardians History

Cleveland Guardian Jose Ramirez is a mainstay near the top of the American League MVP race. Ramirez, who finished 5th in the voting last year, is currently right in the thick of things once again. After being named an All-Star for the fourth time, Ramirez continues to rake for one of the best teams in the league. Per BetMGM, Ramirez has the fourth-best odds to win the award, behind only Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Shohei Ohtani.

Some may consider the 29-year-old to be a dark horse candidate. However, Ramirez trails only Trout and Ohtani in WAR. Among AL position players, he ranks third in OPS, only behind Trout and Yordan Alvarez. His .349 batting average trails only Minnesota’s Luis Arraez. Ramirez is also second in the AL with 82 RBIs, only trailing Ohtani.

This would be historic for the Guardians as Ramirez would be the first ever player to win an MVP award in Cleveland history. Ramirez helped lead the Guardians to a 53-41 record in the first half, good for the best record in the AL Central. However, Cleveland has a 29-34 record since the break and now sit at 82-75. Heading into the final week of the regular season, Cleveland finds themselves in second place in their division.

Ramirez, a three-time Silver Slugger, will look to continue his hot play as Cleveland fights for a playoff spot. The Guardians will play three games in Tampa Bay before returning home for a three game series with the Texas Rangers to end the regular season.