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Jose Ramirez chasing exclusive 40/40/40 season over final 3 games of Guardians season
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- Jose Ramirez chasing exclusive 40/40/40 season over final 3 games of Guardians season
CLEVELAND — Jose Ramirez will be chasing some history this weekend at Progressive Field.
The Guardians , as a team, have just about everything decided with only three games against the Houston Astros left on the regular-season schedule. The only question is whether they'll be the No. 1 or the No. 2 seed in the American League playoffs .
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Manager Stephen Vogt has said they'll try to win every game they play, but they don't have quite as much to play for after clinching a playoff spot, the American League Central division and a top-two seed .
But Ramirez has a chance to etch his name into the history books — in yet another way.
Cleveland Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez (11) hits a three-run home run in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in Cleveland.
After a monster game in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds in which Ramirez belted a go-ahead home run to go with a triple, a double, three RBIs and two runs scored, he has continued to inch closer to a 40-homer, 40-steals season. He'd be just the seventh player in baseball history to accomplish that feat.
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But he also has a shot at a nearly unheard of 40/40/40 season, also adding doubles into the equation. Entering Friday, Ramirez already has the 40 steals, but he still needs two doubles and two home runs, as he stands at 38 in both categories.
Cleveland Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez (11) watches his three-run home run in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in Cleveland.
Who else has a 40/40/40 season in baseball history?
If he hits two home runs and two doubles in the Guardians' final three games, Ramirez will become just the second player with a 40/40/40 season, joining only Alfonso Soriano (also from the Dominican Republic) in 2006. He'd also become only the third player with a 40/40 season (home runs and stolen bases) with under 100 strikeouts, joining Barry Bonds and Ronald Acuna Jr.
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"Obviously that's a goal of mine," Ramirez said of trying to complete a 40/40 or 40/40/40 season through a team translator. "That's kind of like the mindset since I left the Dominican Republic, and I want to be part of that select group of players who have achieved that record."
Vogt credited Ramirez with not changing anything with his approach or swing as he chases history.
"I think it's a testament to when guys chase numbers, they struggle," Vogt said. "When you are yourself and you go out and play every night and be you, your numbers will come. And tonight, this whole season for Hosey has been an example of that, of just be consistent and be yourself every single night. The numbers will come."
And if Ramirez can reach those milestones, there's a good chance it might be enough to lift the Guardians to the AL's playoff No. 1 seed in the process.
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Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez could finish 40/40/40 season
