The Cleveland Guardians moved into first place in the American League Central with a 6-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, their second win in a row over their divisional rivals.
Cleveland leads by a narrow half-game over Chicago, at least until tonight when the White Sox take on the Detroit Tigers while the Guardians take a well-earned off day before opening a three-game series against the Athletics at Progressive Field.
As the Guardians rested up for their remaining nine games, the club took time to announce an upbeat item of personal news on the player who has been the face of their franchise for a decade.
Today, Thursday, Sept. 17, is José Ramírez’s birthday.
José Ramírez’s Road From Baní to Cleveland
Ramírez turned 34 on Thursday, and the Guardians posted a heartfelt tribute Thursday morning, calling their longtime third baseman “our sweet prince, the GOAT.”
Cleveland plays its next game Friday at home against the Athletics, with Ramírez still working his way back from a season complicated by a broken hand. Another question hanging over the Ramírez birthday — whether the switch-hitter has already done enough to land in Cooperstown.
Ramírez grew up in Baní, Dominican Republic, playing against grown men in amateur leagues by age 13 and idolizing hometown hero Miguel Tejada, according to ESPN. He was considered too small by most scouts, listed at 5-foot-9 and roughly 165 pounds as a teenager. Cleveland’s Ramón Peña saw something else in 2009, and Ramírez signed as an international free agent for a modest $50,000 bonus.
Ramírez debuted as a pinch-runner in 2013, scoring on a game-winning grand slam in his first big league appearance. On April 6 of 2026, Ramírez passed Terry Turner’s 108-year-old record for games played in a Cleveland uniform, a mark that had stood since 1918.
“My ultimate goal was to be able to play as long as I could here,” Ramírez said, as quoted by SI.com‘s Cade Cracas.
In January, he signed a new seven-year contract extension running through 2032, when he will turn 40. He is married with three children. An all-turf youth field near his childhood house in Baní now carries the Ramírez name, a gift he funded himself.
| CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — REMAINING 2026 SCHEDULE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV | Pitcher | Opp. Pitcher |
| Fri, Sep 18 | vs Athletics | 7:10 p.m. | MLB.tv | Espino | — |
| Sat, Sep 19 | vs Athletics | 6:10 p.m. | MLB.tv | Bibee | Lopez |
| Sun, Sep 20 | vs Athletics | 1:40 p.m. | MLB.tv | Williams | Perkins |
| Tue, Sep 22 | @ Boston Red Sox | 6:45 p.m. | MLB.tv / NESN | Griffin | Bennett |
| Wed, Sep 23 | @ Boston Red Sox | 7:10 p.m. | ESPN | Messick | Gray |
| Thu, Sep 24 | @ Boston Red Sox | 6:45 p.m. | MLB.tv / NESN | Cantillo | Suarez |
| Fri, Sep 25 | @ Kansas City Royals | 7:40 p.m. | MLB.tv | Bibee | Cameron |
| Sat, Sep 26 | @ Kansas City Royals | 7:10 p.m. | MLB.tv | Williams | Wacha |
| Sun, Sep 27 | @ Kansas City Royals | 3:10 p.m. | MLB.tv | Griffin | Lynch IV |
| All times Eastern. Schedule reflects games remaining in the 2026 regular season as of September 17, 2026. Pitching matchups subject to change. | |||||
A Hall of Fame Case?
Ramírez’s résumé already includes seven All-Star selections, six Silver Sluggers and three 30-30 seasons. Ramírez has posted a 131 career OPS-plus, tying Wade Boggs for sixth among primary third basemen already enshrined in Cooperstown, ahead of Hall of Famers Ron Santo and Scott Rolen, according to MLB.com. He is closing in on the 300-300 club for homers and stolen bases, a group that includes only eight players in history. Entering his birthday, Ramírez carries a career .276 average with 1,769 hits, 296 home runs, 998 RBIs and 424 doubles across 13-plus seasons, all with the same organization.
Baseball-Reference’s JAWS system ranks him 20th among all-time third basemen, with 59.8 career WAR against a Hall average of 68.9. His Gray Ink score already tops the typical inductee’s, though his Hall of Fame Monitor and Standards scores still trail the norm.
Ramírez has never won an AL MVP Award despite four top-three finishes, a gap some Hall of Fame voters weigh heavily.
A broken hand has slowed him in 2026. Ramírez fractured his right hamate bone in 2019 and returned within a month, homering in his first two at-bats back, according to MLB.com. This June, he broke the same bone in his left hand swinging against Detroit and underwent surgery to repair it, missing roughly five weeks. He returned hitting closer to .230 than his usual average, finishing the year around 117 games, 11 home runs and 33 stolen bases.
He has also battled wrist, forearm and ankle injuries over the years, according to Fox Sports, but still played 150-plus games in most full seasons.
Ten years ago, on his 24th birthday, Ramírez won a game outright with a walk-off single against Detroit in the 10th inning. Cleveland has treated Sept. 17 as “J-Ram Day” ever since, and this one arrives with the third baseman still writing the final chapters of his Hall of Fame argument.
Guardians Announce José Ramírez Personal News After Win Over White Sox