Past and future stars of third base in the American League could decide the pennant in 2026.
Jose Ramirez was not an All Star this year. It was the first time since 2019 that the Guardians veteran couldn’t look up. Ramirez got off to a slow start, breaking the hamate bone in his left hand in June and falling hard in the second half after returning from the injured list. He hit .235/.320/.368 (92 wRC+) on the year overall. It was arguably the worst performance of his career, ending a decade as one of the best and most consistent players in the majors.
But Ramírez enters Monday’s ALCS on a hot streak. He stepped up in the final two weeks of the regular season and helped lead the Rangers to a 2-0 shutout against the White Sox in the ALDS. He already has five hits this postseason, including four for extra bases. His two-run home run in Game 5 on Saturday sealed Cleveland’s berth in the ALCS.
This trend is crucial. It can be scale tips in a highly competitive series on paper. The relievers outdueled the White Sox in the AL Central (and the ALDS) due to the strength of their rotation and bullpen, but lacked depth in their lineup all year. If Ramírez returns to being one of the league’s best hitters, he provides the scary middle-of-the-pack bat the Rangers need.
That’s not to say their lineup is completely empty. Chase DeLauter was strong in his rookie year, as was Travis Bazzana. Steven Kwan has been finding more grass with his punching approach lately. Angel Martinez provides a little bit of everything on the field, even if his style of play has helped him get a little scratchy (and currently 0-for-15 in the playoffs).
Still, while there have been a handful of useful role players, there hasn’t been much legitimate hitting at the top of the order to advance runners, apply pressure and make opponents sweat. Ramírez’s renewed presence changes that. In a season devoid of offense, the Guardians 93 wRC+ trails only the Brewers, while Ramirez himself ranks fifth with a 211 wRC+. This group now at least looks competitive.
And as we saw in Game 5, when the Rangers shut out the White Sox with 21 hits, all they really need is competition. And it wasn’t a total, either: In the second half of this season, no other pitching staff threw more shots than Cleveland.
Gavin Williams started Game 5 and had the first 11 of those at-bats. He’s quietly been one of the best starting pitchers in the majors this year, and only Jacob Misiorowski and Dylan Cease have hit at a higher rate. Then there’s rookie Parker Messick, who finished the season top 10 in fWAR with a 2.56 ERA. Foster Griffin, who started Game 1 on Monday, brings a “kitchen sink” approach from the left side and has occasionally dominated games this year. The guard rotation is surprisingly deep for a group without a true ace.
The bullpen is really where they shine. If Cade Smith isn’t the best reliever in baseball, he’s at least the best left in the postseason (Mason Miller was recently eliminated). Eric Sabrowski is a solid 1b option as one of the best lefty relievers in the game. But it’s the depth of the bullpen that has served to impress, with seven different relievers under 3 in the second half of the season. Expect Cleveland to use a lot of different pitchers in this series, and expect them to be effective in doing so.
Still, Tampa Bay has a tough road ahead against the AL’s winningest team. The Rays are led by All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero, who has hit 42 home runs this year and has a .276/.360/.524 slash line with a 142 wRC+. Caminero, just 22 years old, finished his second straight season among the top 25 players in the majors by fWAR and may have supplanted Ramires as the starting third baseman in the AL.
Caminero’s success is partly down to brute strength. No one is swinging a 79.5 mph average. When it comes together, it really comes together.
But Caminero is not a free kicker who takes massive uppercuts and aims for the fences. He has a patient approach with a cautious eye and takes nice, level swings to put the ball in consistent play. His 18.4% strikeout rate was four points below the league mark of 22.1% in 2026, which is rare for a player who swings so hard.
This is the theme of this Rice group. While Caminero is the group’s only true star, their lineup is full of punches that simply refuse to blow. In 2026, Rice’s 18.8% strikeout rate was the lowest in the majors. It’s not just about them, they also get into the game. The contact they make is generally on the ground and in the opposite field, contrary to the recent trend of catching the ball in the air and chasing home runs. This all-field approach throws defenses out of position, especially with runners on base, and forces them to make plays they aren’t always equipped to make. The Rays lack power, as they ultimately finished in the middle of the pack in scoring runs, but their “nervous” approach puts tons of pressure on opponents and cracks them at times, as we saw in the Yankees’ error-filled ALDS.
The beams in the mound are not as deep as the Guardians. Drew Rasmussen is perhaps the league’s secret ace, finishing in the top 10 in fWAR with a 2.67 ERA. He gets strikeouts, doesn’t give up walks or hard contact, and his wide arsenal is unbalancing deep in games. When he plays, Rasmussen is a joy to watch and can be the difference in any game he starts.
The issue for Rice is that there isn’t a ton of depth beyond that. Freddy Peralta was the Brewers’ number one starter for a long time, but he took a step back this year, often struggling to put strikes away and keep the ball in the yard. Nick Martinez has had some success as a wily veteran here and there, but he won’t be able to provide big innings in this series. Expect the Rays to lean heavily on their bullpen on days when Rasmussen doesn’t start.
Despite the Rays winning 13 more games in the regular season, this looks like a fairly even matchup in the end. It should be noted that they have been the “luckiest” team in the majors this year, winning eight more games than expected by run margin. The Rays have a slight edge at the plate, but the Guardians have a deeper rotation.
That’s why I think this series could come down to a position matchup at third base: a longtime position star vs. a future AL star. I rarely look at baseball in such individual terms, but in a series that is sure to be close, these two could be all the difference. If Ramírez stays hot, maybe that’s what the Rangers need to get a few runs for their pitching. If Caminero can find the barrel, perhaps he’ll give the Rays a rare boost to counter Cleveland’s formidable hitting. If both players are on their game, this should be an entertaining series.