José Ramírez Joins Exclusive Company In Guardians’ Latest Win

The Cleveland third baseman became just the 10th player in MLB history to achieve this feat in the Guardians’ win over Philadelphia on Sunday.

Jul 23, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates his solo home run in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians clinched a road series win over the Philadelphia Phillies with a 4-3 victory on Sunday.

After trailing 3-0 through three innings, Cleveland stormed back with four unanswered runs to seal a comeback win. Jhonkensy Noel hit a game-tying three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning, and Steven Kwan hit the eventual game-winning solo shot three frames later.

But another event during the game proved to be a momentous occasion.

After drawing a walk to begin the eighth inning, José Ramírez eventually stole second base to put a runner in scoring position for Cleveland with one out in the top of the eighth. This was his 20th stolen base of the season, to go along with his 24 home runs on the year. 

The six-time All-Star’s steal secured the sixth 20-20 season of his career. According to Stathead, Ramírez is now the 10th player in MLB history to record at least six seasons with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

Jul 23, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates his solo home run in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

He now joins: Bobby Bonds (10), Barry Bonds (10), Bobby Abreu (nine), Carlos Beltrán (seven), Eric Davis (seven), Alex Rodriguez (six), Raúl Mondesi (six), Hank Aaron (six), and Willie Mays (six) as the only players in this group.

So far this season, Ramírez is the only American League player with at least 20 homers and 20 steals. Only Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (32 home runs, 27 stolen bases) and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (22 home runs, 21 stolen bases) have also reached these marks this year.

Ramírez’s efforts have helped the Guardians rank in the top half of MLB in team home runs (114, tied for 15th) and stolen bases (88, eighth) through their first 105 games of the 2024 campaign.