CLEVELAND — When Guardians third baseman José Ramírez walks up to the plate inside Progressive Field, the ballpark often erupts with his namesake chanting song: "José! José, José, José! José! José"
Sometimes, like on Monday evening against the New York Yankees, he puts on a show to follow.
With Steven Kwan and Brayan Rocchio on base, Ramírez found what he likes to call his "home run pitch" and knocked it out of the park. The Guardians took a 3-0 lead over New York, and Ramírez moved up to five home runs on the season.
But those five homers don't put Ramírez at the top of the leader board for the Guardians at this point of the season. He's chasing first baseman and designated hitter Kyle Manzardo for that title.
Kyle Manzardo has brought power to the lineup this year. From his season opener two-run dinger to start the year to an impressive 411-foot bomb against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday that splashed into the Allegheny River (he's the first Guardian to hit a home run into the river), Manzardo has kept the deep shots coming.
Entering Monday's game, Manzardo had six total home runs, so when Ramírez hit his three-run home run Monday, Manzardo's title for home run leader of the Guardians was being closed in on.
The "José!" chants were still fresh on the wind, and Ramírez was celebrating his homer in the dugout when Manzardo stepped up to the plate. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Manzardo swung and smashed, hitting the ball into the right field stands.
Ramírez and Manzardo went back-to-back on home runs as Manzardo regained some security in his early-season home run leader position.
If there wasn't a home run competition before Monday's game, one began in that third inning. A friendly race emerging in the clubhouse between Ramírez and Manzardo has the Guardians' star third baseman ready for the challenge Manzardo has unintentionally created.
Asking Ramírez if the two have talked about the unofficial home run race, a smile spread across his face, and he responded with a playful answer.
"I just called him a little bit into attention, 'Now you're trying to chase me? Okay, I'm going to get going, so see if you can keep up,'" Ramírez joked about saying that to Manzardo.
"See if you can keep up."
That's a challenge sent to his fellow Guardian, and while Manzardo isn't hitting dingers to beat Ramírez at anything, he appreciates the energy the third baseman is bringing.
"He's the best. That's just who he is. He's always in competition, always a competitor," Manzardo said.
Personally, manager Stephen Vogt is enjoying the internal battle for home run leader. He said that's the nature of the game—but even more so, something this Guardians team has embraced in a big way. And they aren't afraid to talk about it, and push each other with a little friendly competition.
"You always are competing with your teammates, that's what makes us better. I told these guys that at Spring Training, when you compete with each other, it's going to make us better because you have to elevate yourself, you have to elevate your game...these guys push each other hard," Vogt said. "We talk so much crap to each other and we are always trying to push each other to be better."
The fun trash talk amongst the team, like Ramírez's message of "keep up" to Manzardo, is something the Guardians love to see. They use it to improve and just to have fun. With Manzardo leading the home run race at seven, Ramírez close behind at five, and Steven Kwan there in third with his four homers, the race is on.
"That's all the smack talk is. You're pushing each other to be at your best every single night and Josey and Kyle and Kwanny right behind him, so it's going to be a fun race," Vogt said.
And while Ramírez may be the competitive one, Manzardo is up for the challenge.
His message back to Ramírez?
"I want him to keep it up, too. That sounds like a win-win to me."
