José Ramírez Bio
José Enrique Ramírez is a Dominican professional baseball third baseman for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). Known for his powerful switch-hitting and aggressive base running, Ramírez has been a cornerstone of the Cleveland franchise since his major league debut. He is a seven-time MLB All-Star, a six-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and a multiple-time All-MLB Team selection, establishing himself among the most productive hitters of his generation.
Ramírez signed with the Cleveland Indians as an international free agent in 2009 and made his MLB debut in 2013. Over the years, he has helped lead Cleveland to deep playoff runs, including a memorable trip to the 2016 World Series. With a long-term contract that keeps him in a Cleveland uniform through the early 2030s, Ramírez continues to build his legacy as one of the most complete players in the game.
Early Life and Background
José Enrique Ramírez was born on September 17, 1992, in Baní, Dominican Republic. He grew up in poverty as the first-born son of Sito Ramírez and Silveria Mateo. Baní is a small city with a rich baseball tradition, and Ramírez was drawn to the sport from a young age. By the time he was 13, he was already playing in a league for adults, an early sign of the determination and baseball instincts that would later define his career.
Ramírez looked up to Miguel Tejada, a fellow Baní native and former American League Most Valuable Player, who often returned to the community for philanthropic work. Ramírez has carried on that tradition of giving back, partnering with the Cleveland Guardians to fund an all-turf field near his childhood home that now bears his name. As a teenager, he played in the Dominican Prospect League, which gave him a platform to showcase his talent to professional scouts.
In 2009, at the age of 17, Ramírez and several other unsigned prospects traveled to the Cleveland Indians’ Dominican facility in Boca Chica. Indians scout Ramon Peña noticed Ramírez when he collected 11 hits across four games in three days. Shortly after, Ramírez signed with the Indians and received a $50,000 signing bonus, launching what would become a remarkable professional career.
Path to Major League Baseball
After signing, Ramírez sat out the 2010 season before making his professional debut in 2011 with the Arizona Indians of the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he batted .325 in 48 games. He also gained valuable winter experience playing for the Toros del Este of the Dominican Winter League. The following season, he advanced through the Cleveland system, playing for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the New York-Penn League and the Lake County Captains of the Midwest League.
In 2013, Ramírez began the year with the Akron Aeros of the Double-A Eastern League, and his strong play quickly pushed him toward the major leagues. The Indians promoted him on September 1, 2013, and he entered his debut game as a pinch runner in the ninth inning, scoring the game-winning run on a grand slam by Mike Avilés. Less than two weeks later, on September 9, he collected his first major league hit, a single off Kansas City Royals starter Ervin Santana. Those early appearances gave Cleveland a glimpse of the versatile contributor Ramírez would become.
José Ramírez Career
Early Career (2013–2015)
Ramírez spent the first half of 2014 back in the minors before returning to the majors in May. He initially played multiple positions, including second base and shortstop, after the Indians traded Asdrúbal Cabrera in late July. On August 9, 2014, he hit his first major league home run as part of his first three-hit game, finishing the season with a .262 average, 62 hits, and 10 stolen bases.
In 2015, Ramírez earned a spot on Cleveland’s Opening Day roster for the first time, starting at shortstop and batting ninth. He struggled through the first half of the year and was briefly sent down to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, but he returned to the majors in August and finished strong. He batted .280 in September and October, setting a then-career high with four home runs in a single month, signaling the offensive upside that was about to emerge.
Cleveland Indians / Guardians Breakthrough (2016–2020)
The 2016 season marked Ramírez’s official arrival as a star. He hit .312 with a .363 on-base percentage and .462 slugging percentage, setting career highs across the board with 46 doubles, 11 home runs, 76 runs batted in, and 22 stolen bases. He also became the first player in 2016 to hit in every spot in the batting order and was a key driver of a 14-game winning streak that set a new franchise record. In October, he helped Cleveland reach the World Series, hitting a home run in Game 5 and batting .310 in the series, though the Indians ultimately fell to the Chicago Cubs in seven games. He was named the Bob Feller Man of the Year as the club’s Most Valuable Player.
In 2017, Ramírez was elected by fan vote as the starting American League third baseman in the MLB All-Star Game and earned his first Silver Slugger Award. He led the major leagues with 56 doubles and finished with a .318 batting average, 29 home runs, 83 RBIs, and 107 runs scored in 152 games. His .957 on-base plus slugging percentage was the highest ever for a player with at least 60 appearances at both second and third base. He also played a central role during a 22-game winning streak, batting .423 with a 1.406 on-base plus slugging percentage across that historic run.
Two years later, in 2018, Ramírez joined the 30–30 club, hitting 39 home runs and stealing 34 bases to become the first major leaguer to accomplish the feat since Mike Trout in 2012. He became the first Indians player to reach 30 homers, 30 steals, 100 runs, and 100 RBIs in a single season. In 2020, Ramírez put together one of the most dominant Septembers in franchise memory, earning AL Player of the Month honors with a 1.294 on-base plus slugging percentage, 10 home runs, and 24 RBIs, capping a season in which he led all of MLB in FanGraphs WAR with 3.4 and finished second in the AL Most Valuable Player voting.
Cleveland Guardians Era (2021–Present)
Ramírez continued his ascent into the 2020s, making his third All-Star team in 2021 and winning the Bob Feller Man of the Year Award for the second time. Following the 2021 season, Cleveland picked up his club option, and in April 2022, Ramírez signed a five-year, $124 million contract extension that ran through 2028 and included a full no-trade clause. In 2022, he led the major leagues with 44 doubles and 20 intentional walks, while batting .280 with 29 home runs and 126 RBIs. He also hit his first career three-home run game against the Boston Red Sox on June 8.
In 2024, Ramírez came within striking distance of the rare 40–40–40 season, finishing with 39 doubles, 39 home runs, and 41 stolen bases. He helped Cleveland reach the American League Championship Series before the team fell to the New York Yankees. Then, on January 24, 2026, Ramírez and the Guardians agreed to a seven-year, $175 million extension, keeping him in Cleveland through 2032 and cementing his status as the face of the franchise for years to come.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ramírez is widely recognized as one of the most complete hitters in baseball, combining rare plate discipline with above-average power and elite speed. As a switch hitter, he punishes pitchers from both sides of the plate, and his 56-double season in 2017 showcased his ability to spray line drives to all fields. Defensively, he has proven versatile enough to handle shortstop, second base, third base, and left field, though he has settled in as Cleveland’s primary third baseman and one of the most dangerous baserunners in the American League.
Notable Events and Milestones
Some of Ramírez’s most memorable moments include his Game 5 home run in the 2016 World Series, his record-tying five-extra-base-hit game on September 3, 2017, and his 30–30 season in 2018. In 2025, he became the first Cleveland player in history to record 250 career home runs and 250 career stolen bases, the 24th player in MLB history to do so, and the first primary third baseman ever to reach the mark. He also passed Earl Averill to become Cleveland’s all-time leader in extra-base hits, finished his career month in franchise history with 27 multi-homer games, and on April 11, 2026, became the first Cleveland player to homer against every major league franchise.
José Ramírez Career Wins
While individual game-by-game win totals vary across seasons, Ramírez has built a career highlighted by consistent All-Star selections, Silver Slugger Awards, and postseason appearances with Cleveland. His production at the plate, on the bases, and in the field has made him one of the most decorated position players in franchise history.
Cleveland Indians / Guardians Highlights
Across his career with the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Guardians, Ramírez has consistently ranked among the league leaders in extra-base hits, doubles, and intentional walks. He was an AL All-Star starter in 2017 and 2018, made the All-Star team every year from 2021 through 2025, and has captured Silver Slugger Awards in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025. He has been named to the All-MLB First Team in 2024 and 2025, and he was the runner-up for the AL Most Valuable Player Award in 2020.
Other Performances
Beyond his major league accomplishments, Ramírez gained valuable postseason experience in the Dominican Winter League with the Toros del Este. He has also represented Cleveland in multiple playoff runs, including the 2016 World Series, the 2017 and 2018 Division Series, and the 2024 American League Championship Series, serving as one of the team’s offensive anchors in each of those October campaigns.
José Ramírez Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ramírez is the first-born son of Sito Ramírez and Silveria Mateo, and he grew up in Baní alongside his siblings. His brother, Jose Báez Ramírez, signed with the Cleveland organization in 2018 and went by the name Jose Baez as a player. The younger Ramírez played in the Arizona Complex League before retiring in 2023.
Personal Life
José Ramírez is married to his wife, Rosedith, and the couple has three children. The family has remained closely tied to the city of Baní, where Ramírez has invested in youth baseball and community projects alongside the Cleveland Guardians. Former teammate Francisco Lindor once remarked that if he owned a team, Ramírez would be the first player he would sign, citing his baseball instincts, work ethic, and dedication to the game.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was another milestone-filled year for Ramírez, who once again served as the offensive heart of the Cleveland Guardians. On April 4 against the Los Angeles Angels, he hit his second career three-homer game, with his fifth-inning blast tying the franchise record for most multi-homer games at 26 alongside Albert Belle and Jim Thome. On May 1, he stole his 250th career base against the Minnesota Twins, becoming the first player in Cleveland history with at least 250 home runs and 250 stolen bases and just the 24th player in MLB history to achieve the feat.
Ramírez continued to climb Cleveland’s all-time leaderboards throughout the summer. On July 21, he hit a three-run homer against the Baltimore Orioles to reach the 20-homer, 20-stolen base milestone for the seventh time in his career, joining an elite group of just six players in major league history with seven such seasons. On August 12, he broke the franchise record for multi-homer games with his 27th, and in September he passed Jim Thome for the second-most RBIs in Cleveland history before surpassing Earl Averill to become Cleveland’s all-time extra-base hits leader. On September 19, he became the first Cleveland player in more than a century to appear in 1,600 games for the franchise, and one day later he hit his 30th home run of the season, becoming the first player in Guardians history with three 30-30 seasons.
Heading into 2026 and beyond, Ramírez remains the centerpiece of a young Cleveland team that has emerged as a contender in the American League. His continued production, combined with the seven-year, $175 million extension he signed in January 2026, signals that his prime years will be spent chasing a championship in Cleveland, where he has already cemented his place among the all-time greats of the franchise.