Jose Ramirez is poised to rewrite Cleveland baseball history this week, closing in on a franchise record that has stood for more than a century. Ramirez appeared in the 1,617th game of his Indians/Guardians career in the home opener at Progressive Field on April 3, and barring a rainout he is set to tie Terry Turner’s 1,619-game mark on April 5 and surpass it the following day when Cleveland hosts Kansas City.
Turner’s total, accumulated between 1904 and 1919 with the Naps and early Indians, has been one of the oldest club milestones. Ramirez, a rookie in 2013, has been a fixture in the lineup across 14 seasons and signed a contract extension in January that binds him to the Guardians through 2032. At 125 games per season over the next seven years, Ramirez would approach nearly 2,500 games played with the same organization by the time he retires — a testament, he said, to the objective behind his longevity. “I think among all the records, I feel that’s one of the most important because it kind of resembles what I wanted to do with this team,” Ramirez said in a pregame interview through interpreter Agustin Rivero.
The milestone comes amid a victory: Cleveland beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 on April 3. Rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter, who homered to the tune of a sold-out Progressive Field singalong, accounted for two runs, and Ramirez went 2-for-4, raising his average to .188. In the seventh inning he singled and aggressively advanced to second when Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong bobbled the throw. Teammates have long pointed to Ramirez’s relentlessness as central to his staying power. “Just the consistency, just the clean head, just the ability to come out every single day and be one of the best players on the field for a long time is something truly special,” DeLauter said.
Beyond the durability, Ramirez’s résumé is statistically unusual. He is the only player primarily at third base with at least 275 home runs (286) and 275 stolen bases (289). He is part of a select “275-275” group of 14 players and one of four who reached those thresholds with the same club — a list that includes Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Ryne Sandberg and Craig Biggio. Ramirez has posted at least 30 homers and 30 steals in a season three times and would become MLB’s only switch-hitter to reach that mark four times if he does so before retiring. The one major achievement missing from his résumé is a World Series title.
Ramirez’s durability is no accident. He has played at least 150 games in eight of the last 10 seasons, with the two exceptions being the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign (he played 58 of 60 games) and 2019, when he missed a month with a fractured right hamate bone. Ramirez has often played through pain and said his offseason preparation and midseason management are key to staying available. “When you’re really hungry, you realize you have to be there for your teammates and help them, even when you’re not feeling well,” he said.
If Ramirez checks off the games-played record this week, he will join a small club of franchise legacies whose names are etched into team history. Unlike Terry Turner — a solid player in his era whose name has faded outside historical record books — Ramirez’s place in Cleveland lore is likely to remain vivid, both because of modern media coverage and the scale of his accomplishments. With the extension through 2032, the Guardians are betting he will remain a central figure for years to come.