José Ramírez keeps stacking up accomplishments in a Cleveland uniform, and Friday night brought another one that puts him in a class of his own inside franchise history.
In Cleveland’s win over the Athletics, Ramírez broke the game open with a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning. The swing did more than change the score - it pushed his career RBI total to 1,000, making him just the second player in franchise history to reach that mark. Earl Averill is the only one ahead of him, finishing his Cleveland career with 1,084 RBIs.
“CLEVELAND HISTORY FOR JOSÉ RAMÍREZ. Ramírez hit a home run in the sixth inning vs. the Athletics to become the second player in franchise history to record 1,000 career RBIs,” Yahoo Sports posted.
CLEVELAND HISTORY FOR JOSÉ RAMÍREZ 🪽
Ramírez hit a home run in the sixth inning vs. the Athletics to become the second player in franchise history to record 1,000 career RBIs 👏 pic.twitter.com/7azqlvsbzd
- Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 19, 2026
The homer also moved Ramírez closer to another major round number. It was the 297th home run of his career, leaving him three away from 300.
On the all-time home run list, that puts him tied with Rickey Henderson for 175th. It was also his first homer since August 30 against Kansas City, and only his second since returning from a month-long absence after surgery on his left hand.
Even with that layoff, Ramírez has kept making an impact. He has continued to help Cleveland in ways that don’t always show up in one swing, and later in the game Friday he handled a groundball behind third base and fired a quick throw across the diamond.
Manager Stephen Vogt has made it clear what Ramírez means to the organization, and milestones like this only add to the case. Ramírez has also stayed consistent about where he places the focus, often crediting his faith and his teammates and keeping the conversation centered on winning.
For Cleveland, watching Ramírez join Averill in a club this small says plenty about the career he has built.
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Holderman had been pitching well before the injury, but his season has not been as steady since midseason, when the wrist issue may have started to show up in his performance. For Cleveland, the concern is not just about one rehab outing going sideways, but about how much longer they may have to wait before getting a clearer read on whether he can help down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]