José Ramírez finds himself fifth on MLB Network’s list of the Top 100 Players Right Now — the highest he’s ever been ranked in his career.
CLEVELAND — Perhaps it’s time to stop referring to José Ramírez as “underrated.”
The Guardians‘ star third baseman finds himself ranked fifth on MLB Network’s annual list of the Top 100 Players Right Now — the highest he’s ever been rated among his peers. The 33-year-old jumped four spots from 2025 and also slotted as baseball’s best overall third baseman, with no one else at the position even reaching the top 30.
Members of MLB Network’s production and research team compile the list every winter, and the players directly behind Ramírez show just how well regarded he is in the game: Juan Soto placed sixth only a year after signing a record-breaking $765 million contract, followed by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, back-to-back AL Cy Young honoree Tarik Skubal, Swiss Army Knife outfielder Corbin Carroll, and slugging postseason standout Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
In a vacuum, most of those players appeared to shine brighter than Ramírez in 2025, but maybe that’s because people have gotten so used to his consistent and quality production. In yet another “ho-hum” season, all Ramírez did was bat .283, slug .503, score 103 runs, hit 30 homers, and steal 44 bases — becoming just the fifth player in MLB history to record three separate 30-30 campaigns. He also slashed .287/.374/.515 in the month of September, helping Cleveland erase a record 15 1/2 game deficit to win the AL Central Division on the final day of the season.
For his efforts, Ramírez earned his sixth Silver Slugger Award at third base and was a finalist for AL MVP, finishing third behind Aaron Judge (MLB Network’s No. 2 overall player) and Cal Raleigh (No. 4). Though he’s yet to win an MVP, he now has eight top 10 finishes, and his 3.61 career vote shares rank 26th all time — above any other player who’s never won the award.
Joining Ramírez on the top 100 list was Guards left fielder Steven Kwan, who placed 75th and ninth among those listed at his position. The club’s leadoff man fell nine spots from his No. 66 ranking a year ago after struggling at the plate in the second half, but still finished seventh in the AL with 170 hits while stealing 21 bases. More importantly, he continued to set the standard for defense, nabbing his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award in left field with 22 defensive runs saved and an MLB-leading 13 outfield assists.
Unsurprisingly, two-way legend Shohei Ohtani was named the game’s best player for the fourth time in five years, fresh off winning his fourth career MVP and leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to their second straight World Series championship.