Pair of Guardians named to All-MLB Second Team

CLEVELAND -- The Guardians have another pair of honorees on the All-MLB Team presented by MGM Rewards in 2023.

The All-MLB First and Second Teams were announced on MLB Network on Saturday evening, with José Ramírez named the Second Team third baseman, and closer Emmanuel Clase joining Milwaukee’s Devin Williams as Second Team relievers. Atlanta’s Austin Riley made the First Team for third base and Baltimore’s Félix Bautista and San Diego’s Josh Hader are the First Team relievers.

• Past All-MLB winners

If you missed the voting period, here’s how it worked: 72 position players and 50 pitchers were divided into their respective positions to be placed on a ballot for fans to vote for the All-MLB First and Second Teams. Ramírez was a finalist third baseman, Clase as a reliever, Josh Naylor as a first baseman and Steven Kwan as an outfielder. Fans were asked to only consider players’ regular-season performances when voting. Half of the vote came from fan picks and the other 50% came from a panel of experts.

This marks the second consecutive year that Clase was named to the All-MLB Team. Last year, his stellar 42-save season in which he posted a 1.36 ERA landed him on the First Team. He wasn’t quite as dominant this season, as he struggled to maintain the same level of consistency as the prior year, but he still managed to pitch to a 3.22 ERA with a Major League-high (and personal-best) 44 saves in 75 appearances.

“I’m not sure I’ve seen as many outings change on maybe one pitch or a chopper off the plate or an infield grounder where the play didn’t get made,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said at the end of the season. “Looking forward, we’re incredibly confident and grateful that we’ll have him in the back end of our bullpen because we continue to believe he’s one of the best relievers in baseball.”

Ramírez was not named to the All-MLB team in ’22 despite finishing fourth in the AL MVP voting. But he cracked the Second Team lineup this year with yet another consistent season. The All-Star third baseman owned a .282 average with an .831 OPS, 36 doubles, five triples, 24 homers and 28 stolen bases -- the most he’s had in a season since 2018 (34). He was intentionally walked more than any other player in the Majors (22) and had his lowest strikeout rate (10.6%) since 2016, as he finished 10th in the ’23 AL MVP vote.

“He continues to be the leader on our team,” Antonetti said. “He put together another extraordinary year in all aspects: Offensively, defensively, on the bases and he continues to set the tone for the team and the way in which we play the game.”

All-MLB honors began in 2019 in an effort to recognize the best player or players at each position across the Majors over the previous season. Since it was established, Cleveland has had five players named to either First Team or Second Team, with some collecting multiple titles.

First Team
Shane Bieber, 2020
Emmanuel Clase, 2022

Second Team
José Ramírez, 2020
Brad Hand, 2020
Andrés Giménez, 2022
José Ramírez, 2023
Emmanuel Clase, 2023

Being at such a competitive position, Ramírez has yet to crack the First Team lineup. However, with at least five more seasons in Cleveland and no signs of slowing down (considering he’s placed top 10 in the AL MVP vote in six of the past seven years), that accomplishment is more than attainable.

“We’re grateful to have José as a leader for us moving forward,” Antonetti said. “Hopefully, we can continue to find players that complement his skills and what he does so well.”