The Cleveland Guardians weren’t sure if Jose Ramirez would turn the corner in these playoffs.
A rough close to the regular season and a tough start to the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox sure made it seem like his mid-season hamate bone injury was still causing some problems.
It’s a hand injury that classically takes hitters a longer-than-expected time to fully recover from. Even if they can play, their power might not be there — and that’s the way it had seemed with Ramirez.
But when the Guardians went down 2-0 to the White Sox, it’s like Ramirez found his cape once again.
Ramirez, with his season on the brink, summoned everything he had to rescue Cleveland — and three wins in a row later, the Guardians are moving on to the ALCS.
Jose Ramirez 2, Chicago White Sox 0
It was only fitting that Ramirez did exactly what he did on Saturday night in Cleveland.
The White Sox didn’t score a run against the stellar pitching of Gavin Williams, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith.
The Guardians scored two — after Steven Kwan singled in the fourth inning, Ramirez had lift-off.
The pitch, shown just above in that image, was quite a bit down.
Ramirez wasn’t his injured self anymore, though.
He had tripled in Game 3.
He had homered in Game 4.
And that breaking ball down from Sean Burke, by all accounts a good pitch to throw in that spot and one in a good location, somehow wasn’t just hit by Ramirez. It was hit on a laser just beyond the right-field wall.
As Ramirez ran down the line, he thought it had a chance, but there was no way to be sure until it just cleared the fence.
From @ESPNInsights: The Jose Ramirez home run was 0.89 feet above the ground as it crossed home plate. It’s the lowest pitch he’s hit for a home run in his MLB career.
It’s also the lowest pitch anyone has hit for a postseason home run in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008).— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 11, 2026
Ramirez hopped around first, screamed “Vamos!” — “Let’s go!” — and even took a quick curtain call when he was back at the dugout.
They were the only two runs Cleveland needed, provided by the greatest ballplayer this franchise has ever known.
Telling Signs
Ramirez has always loved baseball, and he’s always had a good time with his teammates, but he often has come across as serious on the diamond throughout his career.
These last few games, Ramirez has shown as much joy as he ever has.
It’s the joy of a guy rediscovering what it’s like to play a children’s game better than almost anyone on the planet.
It’s the joy of a guy who simply didn’t have it for most of the year, all of a sudden having it again.
Ramirez is back, and with him are the Guardians’ chances.
The Tampa Bay Rays will be a formidable ALCS opponent, but that’s a worry for Monday, and it’s one Ramirez and his teammates will face head on.
This weekend, it’s time for Cleveland to have the joy of its beloved third baseman, who never stopped trying to be better for those counting on him, and who showed how special he could be just in time to save the entire season.
Guardians’ Jose Ramirez Can’t Be Stopped By Injury