Corner Coverage: Nolan Jones heats up, Ramírez stays hot in Guardians homestand split
Nolan Jones and MVP candidate Jose Ramirez helped the Guardians finish their six-game homestand on a high note.
The Cleveland Guardians went 3-3 during their six-game homestand against the L.A. Dodgers and Angels. After losing two of three to the Dodgers and dropping the first game to the Angels, the Guardians finished their homestand strong by winning the last two games against the Angels. Outfielder Nolan Jones is starting to heat up, and superstar José Ramírez continues to make his MVP push as the Guardians sit at 32-26, currently in 2nd place in the AL Central.
Outfielder Nolan Jones started the season slowly, but his Baseball Savant numbers indicated that he may have been quite unlucky and had significant potential. In his last 15 games, Jones has been hitting .318/.326/.364 with nine RBIs. If he continues to perform well, he will become the permanent right fielder against right-handed pitching. Meanwhile, with RHH Johnkensey Noel struggling, the Guardians’ #5 ranked prospect, C.J. Kayfus, might get called up to play right field against left-handed pitchers. Since being promoted to Triple-A Columbus, Kayfus has been batting .330 with 13 extra-base hits and 15 RBIs.
José Ramírez put together a career-best 21-game hitting streak. After the Angels ended it in the first game, he returned to form by getting two hits in each of the next two games, including a home run in both. Angels manager Ron Washington intentionally walked Ramirez twice in the second game, wanting to avoid pitching to him out of respect when there were runners on base. However, when Ramírez batted with no one on base, he hit a 357-foot line drive home run.
Ramírez is making a strong case for the MVP race this season. He has a batting line of .327/.384/.555, along with 25 extra-base hits and 29 RBIs. While his RBI numbers are slightly lower than usual, his impact on the team is still felt. As the offense continues to heat up, he is likely to find himself in more RBI situations, which could help boost his standing in the MVP race.
Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase earned three saves during this stretch, continuing to return to his elite form. Since May 1st, Clase has posted an ERA of 0.77, with 12 strikeouts and eight saves, showcasing that he is still the best closer in baseball, despite a rough start to the season in March and April.
In the final game of the homestand, right-handed starting pitcher Gavin Williams delivered an outstanding performance. He pitched 6.2 innings, recording six strikeouts and allowing only one hit. Williams had a no-hitter going for 5.2 innings and did not permit any earned runs. His strong effort helped lead the Guardians to a 4-2 victory.
The Guardians will now head to New York to face the Yankees in a short three-game road trip before returning home for another six-game homestand.