MLB Power Rankings: Top 25 players in the game today

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 09: Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) during an at bat in the second inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers played on April 9, 2019 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 24: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians hits a two-run double during the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Progressive Field on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Sargent/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

9. Jose Ramirez

With two straight third-place finishes in the American League MVP vote, Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez has firmly established himself as a top-10player league-wide. It has been a meteoric rise for a player viewed primarily as a utility man in the first three years of his career. The Indians signed him to a five-year deal for $26 million guaranteed, effectively buying out two of his free-agent years for just over $16 million, a massive steal.

Ramirez shot up through the Minor Leagues and was in the big leagues at age 20. He hit for a very high average while working his way up through the farm system, but showed very little power potential. He hit only seven home runs with 34 doubles in over 200 MiLB games before making his MLB debut. Ramirez has blown his career .304/.354/.411 line from the Minor Leagues out of the water the past two seasons.

After making a brief MLB debut at the end of the 2013 season, Ramirez hit just .237/.295/.342 in 165 games across the 2014 and 2015 seasons with 24 doubles, eight home runs and 44 RBI. He did steal 20 bases, but walked infrequently and hardly looked like a future All-Star. The Indians used Ramirez at third base, shortstop, second base and in left field. Things finally seemed to click in 2016, and Ramirez received a few MVP votes after hitting .312/.363/.462 with 46 doubles, 11 home runs, 76 RBI and 22 stolen bases.

The last two seasons have seen Ramirez’s power explode, and he has emerged as a strong contender for MVP. He led the league with 56 doubles in 2017 and came back even stronger last season with 38 doubles and 39 home runs. He has hit .294/.380/.567 over the past two seasons with 68 home runs and 188 RBI and has also swiped 51 bags. The Indians look incredibly smart in locking Ramirez up after his strong 2016 campaign, but no one could have predicted Ramirez would rise to this level of production in such a short time.

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