Watch: José Ramírez Smashes Franchise Record With Dramatic Walk-Off Winner vs. Blue Jays

CLEVELAND – José Ramírez reminded the baseball world why his name stays near the top of every MVP conversation, delivering a 10th-inning walk-off single that lifted the Cleveland Guardians past the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-4, on Wednesday night. The game-winner came on the same evening the switch-hitting third baseman climbed to fourth on the franchise’s all-time list for games played, overtaking Hall-of-Famer Lou Boudreau. Historic milestone fuels late-night heroics Ramírez’s 1,667th appearance put him behind only Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker and Earl Averill in Guardians history. He celebrated the benchmark in trademark fashion, ripping a 97-mph fastball from Toronto reliever Mason Fluharty into right field to score pinch-runner Johnathan Rodríguez. The crowd of 28,714 erupted as “J-Ram” rounded first, his helmet soaring skyward in a familiar post-victory flourish. Another All-Star résumé in the making Through 78 games, Ramírez is slashing .317/.367/.528 with 13 homers, 36 RBI and 20 stolen bases, pacing an offense that sits atop the American League Central. Wednesday’s decisive knock was his third walk-off hit of 2025, tying Luis Arraez for the MLB lead. Manager Stephen Vogt called the veteran “the heartbeat of this clubhouse,” adding that Ramírez’s ability to “turn a routine June night into a highlight-reel moment is what makes him special.” Contract extension already paying dividends Cleveland’s decision to lock up its cornerstone on a seven-year, $141 million pact before the 2024 season drew praise across the league. With Ramírez now chasing Boudreau’s franchise record for extra-base hits and Speaker’s mark for total bases, the deal looks like one of baseball’s biggest bargains. Stat nuggets fans are searching for • Ramírez owns a 1.062 OPS in late-and-close situations this year. • His 43.7% hard-hit rate is his best since his 2020 MVP-runner-up season. • Wednesday’s single pushed his career Win Probability Added above 40, joining Mike Trout and Mookie Betts as the only active players in that club. What’s next? The Guardians and Blue Jays wrap their four-game set Thursday afternoon before Cleveland welcomes the division-rival Twins for a weekend showdown. With Ramírez sitting just two homers shy of 250 and eight stolen bags away from 250, he could become the first player in franchise history to reach both milestones in the same campaign. Fantasy and betting takeaway Ramírez’s multi-category consistency keeps him entrenched as a top-three fantasy asset. Bettors should note his .356 average versus left-handed pitching, a factor in Thursday’s matchup against Toronto southpaw Yusei Kikuchi. Bottom line Whether rewriting record books or deciding games in extra innings, José Ramírez continues to be the engine of a surging Guardians roster—and the hottest name lighting up MLB highlight reels and search results alike.