José Ramírez reaches 1,000 RBIs after overlooked start with too-small glove

From a too-tight glove in Baní to 1,000 RBIs in Cleveland

José Ramírez’s path to Major League Baseball did not begin with elite equipment or scout attention. Growing up in Baní, Dominican Republic, the future Cleveland Guardians star played with limited resources and a glove that was too small for his hands.

In a 2023 MLB feature Ramírez recalled the hardship through interpreter Agustin Rivero: “It was difficult for my dad,” he said. “He didn’t have much work, we didn’t have much money. I had to play with a glove that was too tight.”

Before organised baseball, he and neighbourhood children played Vitilla with plastic water jug caps as balls and sticks as bats. The makeshift games built contact skills but did little to attract scouts, who often prioritized size and physical projection.

Overlooked by scouts, underestimated by the industry

Ramírez’s road to a professional contract was slow. By 17, while top Dominican prospects signed at 16, he was used as a fill-in at showcases and struggled to stand out.

He later told ESPN about the bias he faced: “I knew it would be hard for me [to get signed] because [scouts] are always looking for a Mike Trout, a Bryce Harper. Those kind of guys; big, strong guys. I imagine that [José] Altuve had the same thing happen to him. I guess nobody believed Altuve could be what he has become. Sometimes your size, a smaller body, one does not attract attention or anything and nobody believes in you.”

His opportunity arrived in 2009 when Cleveland’s scouting director John Mirabelli and scout Ramón Peña saw him play second base. Ramírez hit three times that day, three more the next, and five hits in a doubleheader. Peña pushed for a signing and the Guardians, then the Indians, offered a $50,000 bonus — a modest investment that would become one of the franchise’s best signings.

Steady climb through the minors

After signing, Ramírez earned every promotion through the Dominican Summer League, Arizona Rookie League and multiple Minor League stops. He developed into a switch-hitting threat with contact, speed, power and versatility, challenging the assumptions that had limited his teenage opportunities.

He became a franchise cornerstone and perennial offensive threat, with his contributions extending beyond individual numbers.

1,000 RBIs at Progressive Field

On September 18, 2026, Ramírez added a defining chapter. He crushed a 401-foot solo home run against the Athletics at Progressive Field in the sixth inning of Cleveland’s 5-3 victory, recording his 1,000th career RBI.

The blast made him just the second player in Cleveland franchise history to reach 1,000 RBIs, joining Earl Averill, and the 12th active MLB player to do so.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt put the consistency in perspective: “I like to use those round numbers,” Vogt said. “[It’s] 10 years of 100 RBIs. When you break it down that way, it's incredible what he has accomplished, and he's not even close to being done, right?”

Ramírez kept the focus on the team through Rivero: “Thank God for the opportunity to play here for this organization and be able to achieve [1,000 RBIs],” he said. “But most important is that we're able to win today, because you guys know what I really want to do here, which is win.”

From a boy playing with an ill-fitting glove in Baní to one of Cleveland’s most accomplished hitters, Ramírez’s story is about persistence, consistency and loyalty. His 1,000th RBI is another chapter in a career still being written.