Former World Series winner says Cleveland Guardians star deserves more love from fans: "Jose Ramirez is easily the most underrated player"

Jose Ramirez is an often overlooked player in the American League. He doesn't have the accolades of an Aaron Judge, the iconic status of a Shohei Ohtani or the pedigree of a Mike Trout, which doesn't help. He is, however, extremely good.

Ramirez is routinely a top finisher in MVP voting despite playing in a small market on a team that doesn't get a lot of attention. It's been this way for years, but former MLB star Brad Lidge believes it's high time to give Ramirez the credit he is due.

Coming in at No. 5 on #MLBNRTopTen overall rankings: José Ramírez.

Give the man his flowers.

@CleGuardians | #ForTheLand | #Guardians https://t.co/XV1lR4g5Wb

His co-host brought up how valuable Ramirez is to the Guardians:

"A guy who has been as consistent as there is in the game for the Cleveland Guardians coming in at number five and that is Jose Ramirez. Another guy we watch year in and year out. First of all, what he meant for that team, the idea that he signed that seven-year, $141 million extension. Still hasn't won an MVP, either."

Lidge then went on to add just how valuable he is:

"He's going to continue to finish in the top three or four MVP every year. All he does is go out there and play great on both sides of the ball. [Jose Ramirez] is the most underrated player in Major League Baseball... That category, if we had a top 10 list, he'd be number one for sure."

Ramirez hasn't won an MVP in his career yet, and he might not.

It's going to be tough to beat out Ohtani every single season (unless Ohtani lands in the National League) and it's even tougher to beat out historic production like Judge had in 2022.

Nevertheless, Ramirez is one of baseball's best players, so it's time for the MLB world to recognize that.

What can the Cleveland Guardians expect from Jose Ramirez in 2023?

The Cleveland Guardians got another stellar season out of Jose Ramirez in 2022. He recorded 6.3 fWAR and a 139 wRC+ and led the Guardians to a division title and a near upset of the New York Yankees in the playoffs.

In 2023, the projections believe he'll contribute at a similar clip. A 6.1 fWAR and a 142 wRC+ is expected in 2023 and he'll likely put together another MVP campaign.