As the 2025 MLB regular season passes its midpoint, José Ramírez continues to anchor the Cleveland Guardians’ offense amid severe struggles from the rest of the lineup. With the All-Star break just days away and the trade deadline quickly approaching, Ramírez remains one of the few bright spots for a team that has seen its offensive numbers rank near the bottom of the league.

Luis Arraez’s Remarkable Contact Skills Amid Offensive Challenges

In San Diego, Luis Arraez of the Padres has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to avoid strikeouts, a feat nearly unparalleled in modern baseball. As of early July, Arraez had struck out only nine times in 368 plate appearances, a figure extraordinary both for its rarity and its context in today’s strikeout-heavy game. His strikeout rate stands at just 2.4%, far below the major league average of 21.9% this season.

This low strikeout rate places Arraez’s 2025 season among the best since 1913 in terms of contact, measured by FanGraphs’ K%+, which adjusts strikeout rates relative to league averages. Arraez’s K%+ score of 11 means his strikeout rate is just 11% of the league average—a rarity not seen since the 1970s, with historical comparisons to Hall of Famer Joe Sewell, who holds the record for the lowest strikeout rates in MLB history.

Despite his elite contact skills, Arraez’s overall offensive production has not matched past levels. His batting line this season sits at .292/.327/.401, down slightly from his .314/.346/.392 slash line last year. Although Arraez maintains the kind of bat-to-ball skill that could propel him to a much higher average in the second half, his decreased slugging has kept him from becoming a major run producer thus far. Still, the rarity of his strikeout rate, especially in an era with fierce pitching and frequent matchups against multiple pitchers per game, highlights his unique value at the plate.

Ceddanne Rafaela’s Offensive Surge Powers Red Sox Amid Inconsistencies

The Boston Red Sox have had an uneven 2025 campaign, hovering near a .500 record as streaks of strong offense alternate with weeks of poor performance. Amid this volatility, 24-year-old center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela has surged offensively, raising his profile as one of the more impressive young hitters in the league.

At the start of the 2025 season, Rafaela’s numbers were underwhelming, with a slash line of .221/.274/.331 through 50 games, marking him as a defensive specialist with limited offensive production. However, since late May, Rafaela has dramatically improved, hitting .318/.348/.636 with 10 home runs over his past 37 games. This transformation coincided with a strategic adjustment to his approach at the plate, focusing on pulling the ball in the air.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora remarked on this change:

“We had a conversation with him about certain things that he could do better. His damage to the pull side and obviously at home hitting the ball in the air to right-center as a righty, that doesn’t play. And he started pulling the ball in Milwaukee. And he’s been outstanding.”

—Alex Cora, Red Sox manager

Rafaela’s increase in pulled fly balls—from 9.6% before the Milwaukee series to 21.4% since—is a key driver behind his power surge, a tactic that plays well in Fenway Park thanks to the Green Monster turning potential outs into base hits. These pulled fly balls have a much higher run value than batted balls to other parts of the field, emphasizing Rafaela’s newfound offensive potency.

Combined with his stellar defense and baserunning, Rafaela’s offensive growth has elevated his overall value to 3.4 WAR this season, placing him among the top outfielders in the American League. His development mirrors that of prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, though Rafaela offers less raw power but compensates with outstanding all-around skills.

José Ramírez Leads an Undermanned and Struggling Guardians Offense

On Monday night, the Cleveland Guardians broke a dismal streak by scoring seven runs to defeat the Houston Astros, snapping a ten-game losing skid during which the Guardians managed only 15 total runs. For Cleveland—a team with José Ramírez, one of baseball’s premier hitters—seven runs were an unusually high output given their offensive woes.

As of Tuesday’s game, the Guardians ranked near the bottom of the major leagues in nearly every hitting category: 29th in batting average (.224), 29th in on-base percentage (.295), 28th in slugging percentage (.363), 26th in runs per game (3.58), and 23rd in home runs (87). This troubling output starkly contrasts with Ramírez’s individual numbers, highlighting how much Cleveland depends on him.

Ramírez’s slash line of .298/.361/.495 substantially outpaces the rest of the Cleveland lineup, which collectively hits .215/.287/.347. Since June 1, the Guardians’ other 12 regular contributors have combined for an abysmal .586 OPS across more than 1,000 plate appearances. Even as Ramírez has experienced a mild slump, his production remains the linchpin of the team’s offense.

The disparity has led opposing teams to increasingly avoid pitching to Ramírez. In recent weeks, he received intentional walks six times over 32 games, including twice in a single weekend against the Detroit Tigers. Pitchers seem willing to face the weaker hitters behind Ramírez rather than risk his bat.

Cleveland’s best teams of the past decade have typically relied on pitching rather than offensive firepower, maintaining around league-average run production. However, this year’s offense has declined to a level far below average, forcing Ramírez to carry a heavily burdened lineup. Without his contributions, the Guardians’ chances to compete—particularly for a playoff spot—appear bleak.

Understanding the Broader Implications of Offensive Struggles and Individual Performances

The 2025 MLB season is reaching a pivotal phase as teams prepare for the post-All-Star stretch and the trade deadline, where roster moves could redefine postseason races. Players like Luis Arraez and Ceddanne Rafaela offer examples of emerging or sustained offensive excellence, underscoring how versatile approaches and adjustments at the plate can translate to greater impact on the scoreboard.

Conversely, Cleveland’s plight highlights the difficulty of relying on a single star player to carry a struggling offense. José Ramírez exemplifies peak individual performance, yet his team’s overall offensive deficiencies threaten their playoff hopes. The Guardians’ situation signals the critical need for complementary contributors in baseball, illustrating that even elite talent like Ramírez cannot single-handedly offset systemic weaknesses.

As the trade deadline nears, teams like Cleveland may seek to bolster their offensive support or adjust strategies to better leverage their star players’ talents. Meanwhile, players such as Arraez and Rafaela will likely continue to be focal points for their teams’ successes in the stretch run. How these narratives develop will shape the season’s second half and influence postseason prospects throughout the league.