Jose Ramirez Notches Historic Career Feat

By any measure, this season has been one of the most disappointing in the long career of Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez. Not only was his production well below his standard in the first half, but a hamate bone injury has made it almost impossible for him to author a turnaround in the second half.

However, there is still time to get plenty out of it, as the Guardians try to make another late-season push to win the AL Central. If they are going to do so, Ramirez will have to play a key role.

Heading into the final month, Ramirez was able to notch a historic career feat, getting a milestone single against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

“That base hit marks Jose Ramirez’s 1,000th career single, the 11th player in Cleveland history to reach that mark,” Horodyski posted.

That base hit marks José Ramírez’s 1000th career single, the 11th player in Cleveland history to reach that mark#Guardians x #GuardsBall x @WEWS

— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) August 30, 2026

Perhaps even more important than that sixth-inning base hit was the home run Ramirez hit in the fourth inning of the 11-1 victory. It was his first homer since June 6, which was a week before he suffered the wrist injury that required surgery and led to an extended stay on the injured list.

After the game, Ramirez admitted that he has been playing through pain, which exemplifies the kind of dedication Cleveland has always gotten from its veteran leader. Fortunately, he looks to be getting hot at just the right time, with eight hits and nine RBIs in his past five games.

With a batting average in the low .200s in May, Ramirez has been hovering around .240 for much of the season. Entering play on Monday, he has a .243 batting average and a .731 OPS that would be the lowest full-season numbers in his 14-year career.

Ramirez entered the campaign with a chance to reach other notable milestones, as well. It was thought he would have hit his 300th MLB homer by now, but with just 11 this season, he remains four shy. He did get his 400th career double and 300th stolen base, but he will fall short in his bid to become only the second player in history to have three straight 30-30 seasons.

Yet, Ramirez can erase any disappointment by leading the Guardians back to the playoffs and on a long run once they get there.