CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 21: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians celebrates after hitting a two-run homer during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on September 21, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Jose Ramirez’s actual replacement had something to say about his WAR.
Jose Ramirez has become a legitimate American League MVP candidate and his case only got stronger Tuesday night. The Cleveland Indians third baseman launched a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to secure a spot in the postseason.
Ramirez entered the day atop the FanGraphs WAR leaderboards and remains there entering play Wednesday. His WAR of 3.2 is the best in baseball. One of Ramirez’s teammates had something to say about the WAR total and broke down what the acronym actually stands for.
Jose Ramirez gets credit from his replacement
Mike Freeman is a backup infielder for the Indians and is technically Ramirez’s replacement. Freeman’s WAR of 0.0 shows his value to the team compared to the league-leading Ramirez.
Freeman’s tweet was also sent out before Tuesday’s game. He followed up with another after the amazing win.
Ramirez should be a favorite for the MVP Award based on his WAR alone. One of his top competitors is teammate Shane Bieber, who takes the mound Wednesday night with a final shot to bolster his own case. The two teammates have the highest WAR values in the AL, according to FanGraphs, and should not be overlooked in the voting. If the award is for the most “valuable” player, the Indians have two that fit the description.
Freeman had a funny tweet that is also objectively true. The Indians would be a totally different team without Ramirez being an everyday player. His 17 home runs and 44 RBIs are the best on the team and he is playing at a much higher level than Francisco Lindor, who commands most of the national attention.
The Indians star has a chance to raise his WAR value even higher before the season ends Sunday and there is no reason to expect him to cool off anytime soon.