CLEVELAND _ It might be the worst-kept secret in baseball.
The Indians' Jose Ramirez has been the real deal, but he's done it in a much quieter fashion than the elite players with whom he'll share space on many writers' MVP ballots at the end of the season.
An argument could have been made last season that Jose Ramirez was the club's MVP in the regular season, when he stepped in for an injured Michael Brantley in left field and then a departed Juan Uribe at third base and put up a breakout season. That argument would be much easier this season, at least among position players.
In terms of the American League MVP race? Ramirez should be in the top four on most ballots, if the season ended today. He's emerged as one of the better third basemen in baseball, a key piece in the Indians' future and, with his newly signed five-year, $26 million extension that includes two club-option years, one of the better values in the game.
While he will be a mainstay on MVP ballots, what are his chances of climbing to the top? Probably not great. It would take a torrid September. Ramirez is likely in a top-four grouping along with front-runner Jose Altuve, Mike Trout and Aaron Judge.
Entering the weekend, Altuve led the AL with 6.6 WAR. He's hitting .352 with 22 home runs, 74 RBI, 31 stolen bases and a .975 OPS. Trout is gaining steam despite missing significant time. He'll end up playing fewer than 120 games, but he's second with 6.3 WAR. He also leads that group of four with an absurd 1.111 OPS for the season.
The argument will likely come down to Altuve, for the best full season, or Trout, the best player in the game but one who missed a good chunk of time.
Then there's Aaron Judge and his breakout season. He'll be the rookie of the year, having slugged 39 home runs and driven in 87 runs already. What hurts his MVP candidacy is that he's also striking out at a much higher rate (18.1 percent) than the other three candidates, and that his OPS is barely beating Altuve's, even though Altuve plays second base, a position with a higher premium.
Ramirez has posted 5.2 WAR, which leads the Indians and is fourth in the AL among position players. He also leads the league in doubles and extra base this (47 and 78, respectively). He's hitting .309 with 25 home runs, 69 RBI, 15 stolen bases and has a .926 OPS. Ramirez has earned the right to be in the discussion, and he might not receive the national attention he has warranted.
It would take a lot of work to genuinely challenge the seasons Altuve and Trout are enjoying. Among those four, Altuve leads in WAR, stolen bases and average. Trout leads in wRC+ with 191, on-base percentage (.463) and OPS. But few hitters can get as hot as Ramirez can, as he proved not long ago, earning player of the week honors on the back of a 5-for-5 game with five extra-base hits. It's unlikely Ramirez will get there, though that will do little to take away from the season he's put together this year.
Along with his $2 million signing bonus, Ramirez is on the books this season with a base salary of just $571,400. Next year, his base salary is $2.428 million. In 2019, it's $3.75 million, still well under his current production levels. In 2020, it jumps to $6.25 million and in 2021 he'll make $9 million before the club options of $11 and $13 million in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Ramirez doesn't turn 25 until Sept. 17. He's a switch-hitting doubles machine who can play third and second base and owns a team-friendly contract, at least with how things look now, through at least the 2021 season. And he should be a year or two away from his prime.
Regardless of where he finishes in MVP voting, Ramirez stands to be one of the central pieces of the Indians' future, and a strong bargain if he continues along this torrid career path.
