Cleveland Indians: Who’s Tribe’s best power hitter over last 30 seasons?

Manny Ramirez

If we’re talking about career numbers, Manny Ramirez is by far one of the best power hitters to put on a Cleveland Indians uniform. However, if we’re limiting the resume to just time with Cleveland, then Ramirez’s case weakens. However, his “weak case” is still 236 home runs over eight seasons.

While most will remember Manny being Manny in a Boston uniform, his seasons in Cleveland were among the best of his career, especially in regards to power. In both 1998 and 1999 he was able to blast over 40 home runs, accounting for two of his five 40+ home runs seasons over his career. The 1999 season also saw Ramirez lead all of baseball for RBI with 165, a career-high for the slugger and a mark that still stands as a club record.

Ramirez’s name is in the record book a few other places as well, holding the single season record for on-base slugging percentage at 1.154 in 2000. His 45 home runs in 1998 are also fifth in the record book for a single season and his 44 in 1999 are sixth.

As for career numbers as a member of the Cleveland Indians, Ramirez is atop the lists for slugging percentage (.592), on-base slugging percentage (.998) as well as being third in home runs (236) behind only Jim Thome and Albert Belle.

Like Thome and Belle, it can only be imagined what Ramirez could have done if he would have remained with the Tribe for his entire career, or at least a little bit longer. However, the sample size we did get was still rather impressive.