Jose Ramirez submits MVP case with playoff-clinching home run (Video)

Jose Ramirez sends the Indians to the playoffs with a walk-off, three-run homer

The Cleveland Indians are heading back to the postseason, thanks to the heroics of a player who may have just secured his hold on the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

Jose Ramirez, the Indians’ 28-year-old third baseman, came through for his club with a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday at Progressive Field. The 5-3 victory over their AL Central rivals helped the Indians clinch a playoff spot for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

The White Sox were an out away from defeating the Indians after scoring two runs in the top half of the inning. But after Francisco Lindor doubled and Cesar Hernandez worked a walk, Ramirez fouled off a 2-2 slider from Jose Ruiz before hitting a 98-mph fastball 408 feet over the fence in right-center field.

Ramirez’s season deserves significant MVP consideration

The home run was the 17th of the season for Ramirez, who began elevating himself into the MVP conversation as soon as the calendar turned to September. Since the beginning of the month, he’s batting .373 with 10 home runs and 22 RBI. He leads the AL in home runs over that span and his 1.316 OPS coming into Tuesday was the best in the league. His 3.0 WAR, according to Fangraphs, leads the Majors.

Ramirez already has two top-three finishes in MVP balloting in his career, in both 2017 and 2018. He’s poised to end a long drought for the franchise without having a player take home the award; the Indians haven’t had an MVP since Al Rosen in 1953.

The Indians are now 31-24 and in third place in the AL Central. Currently the seventh seed in the AL, they would play the White Sox again in the best-of-three opening round of the playoffs if the season ended today. They’re heading back to the postseason after missing out last season. And they’ve managed to do it largely without manager Terry Francona, who is recovering from gastrointestinal surgery and hasn’t been with the team since Aug. 21; Sandy Alomar Jr. has been managing the club in Francona’s absence.

Ramirez is a big reason why, and so is the pitching staff. Ramirez might be MVP, and Shane Bieber is currently the runaway favorite for the Cy Young Award. Bieber leads the AL in wins (eight), ERA (1.74), and strikeouts (112). Together, he and Ramirez would be the first teammates to win both awards since Miguel Cabrera and Max Scherzer did so for the Detroit Tigers in 2013.

Bieber will get the start on Wednesday against the ace of the White Sox staff, Lucas Giolito. It could be a preview of the pitching matchup when the postseason begins next week. The White Sox will get an early look at Bieber; they got a good look at Ramirez on Tuesday, and could only watch as he snatched away MVP frontrunner honors from their own candidate, Jose Abreu.