Jose Ramirez banked his latest franchise record when the Cleveland Guardians’ third baseman played against the Kansas City Royals on Monday. It was his 1,620th career game, which broke the mark that was held by Terry Turner for more than 100 years.
Ramirez was honored during the game, with a special banner displayed in the right-field corner, and fans were provided with signs to acknowledge the accomplishment. The All-Star is also hearing well-wishes from players around MLB.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor used one word to describe his former teammate, posting “Leyenda” to social media, which translates to “Legend.”
“Leyenda,” Lindor posted on his Instagram.
Francisco Lindor celebrates former-teammate José Ramírez becoming Cleveland’s all-time leader in games played.
If baseball had a salary cap or fair revenue sharing, both of those two would be climbing leaderboards together 😕🥺#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/dntoYZ3FW4
— Jaylon Tyson Fan Club (@IsaacOkoroFan) April 7, 2026
Lindor and Ramirez played alongside each other on the left side of Cleveland’s infield from 2015 through 2020. In fact, the shortstop would likely be threatening many of the same franchise records that Ramirez is, had he not been traded to the Mets before the 2021 season. For example, Lindor has played in 1,545 games in his MLB career.
During their time together, they helped Cleveland reach the 2016 World Series, which they lost to the Chicago Cubs in seven games. It also made the playoffs three times after that.
Turner was an infielder who played for Cleveland from 1904 through 1918, when the team was known as the Naps and then the Indians. Ramirez has passed him and Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie in games played this season.
It is just one of the notable milestones Ramirez has reached in 2026. He has already hit his 400th career double and is in striking distance of passing Lajoie (424) as he tries to overtake Tris Speaker (486) for the franchise record.
Ramirez also could become one of just nine MLB players to reach 300 career home runs and 300 stolen bases. With a 30-30 season, he would become only the second player to do so three years in a row, joining Barry Bonds.
Unfortunately, Ramirez is off to a very slow start, taking a .146 batting average with just six hits, one home run, and two stolen bases in Cleveland’s home game against the Royals on Tuesday afternoon.
NEXT: Guardians May Need To Make Difficult Decision With Kyle Manzardo
