CLEVELAND -- When a player makes a name for himself, his uniform number is forever associated with him. So who are the best members of Cleveland's franchise to don each number? Let’s take a look.
00: Paul Dade
Dade spent half of his six-year Major League career with Cleveland. The utility man hit .277 with a .681 OPS before he was traded to the Padres in 1979 for Mike Hargrove.
0: Andrés Giménez
Giménez hit .261 with a .714 OPS over four seasons with Cleveland from 2021-24. An All-Star in ‘22, he won three straight American League Gold Glove Awards at second base (‘22-24) and one AL Platinum Glove Award (‘23).
1: Bobby Avila
The second baseman played for Cleveland for 10 seasons and was a three-time All-Star. In 1954, he took home the American League batting title with a .341 average.
2: Jhonny Peralta
Peralta didn’t become an All-Star until after he left Cleveland, but he spent more than half of his career there, playing in 923 games with a .751 OPS.
3: Earl Averill
The Hall of Famer had his number retired by the team after his 11 years with Cleveland, during which he hit .322 with a .940 OPS in 1,510 games. He was a six-time All-Star and had his best season in 1936, batting .378 with a Major League-leading 232 hits and 15 triples.
4: Jim Hegan
Hegan beats out Joe Gordon – who spent the majority of his career with the Yankees – as the best No. 4 in Cleveland history. The backstop played for the club for 14 seasons despite leaving to serve in the military for a three-year stint just two years after making his debut.
5: Lou Boudreau
Another Hall of Famer with his number retired by the club, Boudreau played 13 seasons for Cleveland. He was the team’s player-manager from 1942-1950, leading the team to its most recent World Series championship in ’48.
6: Rocky Colavito
Colavito had powerful seasons in 1958 and ’59, launching 41 and 42 homers, respectively, before the team traded him prior to the 1960 season. He later returned for a second stint with Cleveland from ‘65-67.
7: Kenny Lofton
In a tight battle against Al Rosen, Lofton comes out on top as the Guardians' all-time stolen base leader, while owning the best defensive WAR (13.1) of all of the team's outfielders.
8: Albert Belle
As the only player to ever hit at least 50 homers with at least 50 doubles in a single season, Belle is the best player to don the No. 8 uniform in franchise history.
9: Carlos Baerga
Acquired with Sandy Alomar Jr. from San Diego in 1989, Baerga was part of a franchise-altering trade that helped establish the foundation for the magical teams of the '90s. He was a three-time All-Star with Cleveland (1992-93, '95).
10: Max Alvis
Alvis played eight of his nine seasons in the Majors with Cleveland and was a two-time All-Star (1965, ‘67).
11: José Ramírez
One of the most decorated players in franchise history, Ramírez is a seven-time All-Star and a six-time Silver Slugger Award winner who has placed in the top three of American League MVP voting four times and in the top 10 eight times.
12: Francisco Lindor
His stay in Cleveland ended after six years, but that was enough time for “Mr. Smile” to become the best to wear No. 12 as a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and two-time Gold Glove Award winner.
13: Omar Vizquel
The long-tenured shortstop dazzled with his glove for 11 years with Cleveland and owned a .283 average with a .731 OPS.
14: Larry Doby
A seven-time All-Star in MLB, Doby was the first African American player in the history of the American League. The Hall of Famer played 10 seasons with Cleveland, hitting .286 with an .889 OPS, and his number is retired by the team.
15: Sandy Alomar Jr.
Following his trade from San Diego, Alomar won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1990. He was a six-time All-Star and a staple of Cleveland's teams in the ‘90s.
16: Larry Brown
Brown’s nine-year run with the club was enough to secure his spot as the best to wear No. 16.
17: Shin-Soo Choo
Choo spent seven years with Cleveland, producing a .292 average with an .853 OPS.
18: Mel Harder
Harder's career spanned 20 seasons, which is the most by any Cleveland player. He finished with a 223-186 record, a 3.80 ERA and had his number retired by the organization.
19: Bob Feller
The Hall of Famer is Cleveland's all-time leader in complete games (279), innings pitched (3,827), wins (266) and strikeouts (2,581). He also led the league in strikeouts seven times and tossed three no-hitters.
20: Frank Robinson
The end of Robinson's Hall of Fame career came in Cleveland. He was a player-manager and managed the team from 1975-77. He was the first African American manager in Major League history and his number is retired by the organization.
21: Bob Lemon
Lemon spent his entire 13-year playing career for Cleveland, compiling a career record of 207-128 with a 3.23 ERA. The Hall of Famer and seven-time All-Star won 20 or more games seven times in his career, one of only five American Leaguers to do so. His No. 21 is retired by the organization.
22: Jason Kipnis
Kipnis’ nine-year run with the club came to an end after the 2019 season. He owns the record for most homers hit by a Cleveland second baseman (123).
23: Michael Brantley
In 10 seasons with Cleveland, Brantley hit .295 with a .781 OPS and 528 RBIs.
24: Manny Ramirez
If there’s any number that would create a tie, it’d be No. 24. Ramirez and Early Wynn both had tremendous success with that uniform number, but Ramirez’s .313 average, .998 OPS and franchise-best .592 slugging percentage gives him the victory.
25: Jim Thome
Thome owns the club's record for most home runs (337) and walks (1,008) and is third in RBIs (937). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 and had his number retired by the organization.
26: Brook Jacoby
Jacoby was a two-time All-Star and played in Cleveland for nine years.
27: Herb Score
Score was the AL Rookie of the Year Award winner in 1955, and he owned a 3.17 ERA in five seasons with Cleveland.
28: Corey Kluber
Bert Blyleven made his mark in Cleveland, pitching to a 3.23 ERA in 104 games (103 starts), but Kluber's tenure in Cleveland takes the victory. The right-hander is the only two-time Cy Young Award winner in club history, as he owned a 3.16 ERA over nine seasons with the team.
29: Andre Thornton
In 10 seasons with Cleveland, Thornton was a two-time All-Star, recorded a 19.1 bWAR and hit more than 20 homers in six different seasons; in three of those, he launched more than 30 home runs and recorded at least 99 RBIs.
30: Joe Carter
Although his All-Star years came later in Toronto, Carter still posted solid numbers in his six-year stay in Cleveland, owning a .269 average with a .781 OPS, while leading the Majors in RBIs (121) in 1986.
31: Cliff Lee
Lee brought home the AL Cy Young Award in his final full season with Cleveland in 2008 after going 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 31 starts.
32: Al Smith
In six years with Cleveland from 1940-45, Smith owned a 3.47 ERA in 168 games (147 starts).
33: Luis Tiant
Tiant’s six seasons with Cleveland were highlighted by his performance in 1968, when he pitched to a 1.60 ERA in 34 games (32 starts).
34: Steve Hargan
Joe Charboneau deserves a mention here, but Hargan secured his spot with a 3.78 ERA over eight seasons with one All-Star selection.
35: Wayne Kirby
Kirby played a role in the early-to-mid-1990s teams, placing fourth in AL Rookie of the Year Award voting in ’93.
36: Gaylord Perry
Perry was spectacular for Cleveland, pitching to a 2.71 ERA with 96 complete games in four seasons.
37: Cody Allen
From 2014-17, Allen never posted an ERA above 2.99, fanned 369 batters in 274 1/3 innings, posted a combined 1.097 WHIP, a 2.82 FIP and recorded 120 saves. He ranks second in franchise history in saves, with 149.
38: Steven Kwan
Kwan won the American League Gold Glove Award in left field in each of his first four big league seasons and earned a pair of All-Star nods while hitting .281.
39: Gary Bell
Len Barker deserves a mention here for tossing the club's last perfect game, but Bell had a more complete career with Cleveland, pitching to a 3.71 ERA in 419 games (169 starts) over 10 seasons with the organization.
40: Bartolo Colon
Colon started his 21-year career in Cleveland, earning one All-Star selection and a fourth-place finish in the 1999 AL Cy Young Award voting during his six-season stay.
41: Victor Martinez
Both Charles Nagy and Carlos Santana could put up a fair argument to take No. 41, but Martinez had an impressive eight-year career with Cleveland and was the only backstop in franchise history to hit 100 homers.
42: Sonny Siebert
Siebert is responsible for one of 14 no-hitters in club history, completing one against Washington on June 10, 1966.
43: Rick Sutcliffe
In two and a half years with Cleveland, Sutcliffe was selected to an All-Star game and had a fifth-place finish for the Cy Young Award. After getting off to a slow start in ’84, he was traded to the Cubs and was so stellar that he won the Cy Young Award.
44: Richie Sexson
What became a 12-year career began in Cleveland in 1997 for a 22-year-old Sexson. Of his 3 1/2 seasons in Northeast Ohio, just one eclipsed 100 games and he capitalized on the opportunity, slugging 31 homers with 116 RBIs in 1999, owning a collective .822 OPS in his time with Cleveland.
45: Paul Assenmacher
Assenmacher played a key role in the bullpen from 1995-99 while logging a 3.83 ERA in 309 appearances.
46: Doug Jones
Jones only wore this number for two of his seven seasons with Cleveland before he switched to No. 11, but he owned a 3.06 ERA in 295 career games (including four starts) with the team.
47: Trevor Bauer
He may be remembered for his bloody pinky or his heave over the center-field wall in Kansas City, but Bauer had a solid seven-year career in Cleveland, pitching to a 3.89 ERA with 9.4 strikeout-per-nine-inning ratio.
48: Sam McDowell
“Sudden Sam” was a six-time All-Star, and he led the AL in strikeouts per nine innings in six of 11 seasons in Cleveland (five of which led the Majors).
49: Jose Mesa
Mesa had a great seven years in Cleveland (Game 7 of the 1997 World Series aside), highlighted by a stellar ’95. That season, the closer converted 46 of 48 save opportunities (and his first 38), which stands as the second most in a single season in franchise history.
50: Steve Olin
Olin pitched for Cleveland from 1989-92, but only wore No. 50 in ‘89. He owned a 3.10 ERA in his 195 career games.
51: Ed Morgan
Morgan didn’t have much competition for No. 51, but from 1928-33, he hit .323 with an .898 OPS with Cleveland.
52: CC Sabathia
Sabathia spent the majority of his career in New York, but he won his one AL Cy Young Award in Cleveland in 2007, pitching to a 3.21 ERA in an AL-best 34 starts.
53: Paul Shuey
Shuey was part of the bullpen from 1994-2002 and posted a 3.60 ERA with 450 strikeouts in 404 2/3 innings.
54: Chris Pérez
Pérez was a two-time All-Star and racked up 124 saves in five seasons with Cleveland.
55: Orel Hershiser
The prime of Hershiser’s career was behind him when he joined Cleveland, but he still pitched to a 4.21 ERA over three seasons with the organization.
56: Fernando Cabrera
Cabrera spent four of his seven Major League seasons in Cleveland, pitching to a 4.35 ERA.
57: Shane Bieber
Bieber won the AL Cy Young Award in 2020 (after placing fourth in voting ’19) and also took home the pitching Triple Crown that season. He logged a 3.22 ERA in 136 games (134 starts) over seven seasons with Cleveland and was a two-time All-Star. The right-hander earned MVP honors for the ‘19 Midsummer Classic held at Progressive Field.
58: Steve Farr
There haven’t been too many notable players to don No. 58, but Farr became the first in 1984.
59: Carlos Carrasco
Carrasco was a member of Guardians from 2009-20 and '24, and he captured the hearts of fans. He was a staple in the starting rotation for a decade and made an emotional return to baseball after overcoming leukemia in 2019.
60: Bill Selby
Though he only wore this number in 2000, he later made his mark in '02, launching a walk-off grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against Mariano Rivera.
61: Dan Otero
Otero was a reliable arm for the team out of the bullpen from 2016-19, owning a 3.33 ERA.
62: Jim Poole
Poole spent parts of four seasons with Cleveland, recording a 3.81 ERA in 89 games.
63: Justin Masterson
Masterson was the club's Opening Day starter from 2012-14.
64: Jason Davis
One of just four players to ever wear No. 64, Davis spent six years in Cleveland, pitching to a 4.69 ERA.
65: Zach Plesac
Plesac logged a 4.20 ERA in 84 games (including 83 starts) over five seasons with Cleveland.
66: Yasiel Puig
Puig may not have been around for a while and may not have flexed his muscles as much as the organization expected, but he still hit .297 with an .800 OPS in 49 games with Cleveland in 2019.
67: Aaron Civale
Civale wore No. 67 as a rookie in 2019 before he switched to No. 43 in '20. He logged a 3.77 ERA in 76 starts over five seasons with Cleveland.
68: Jefry Rodriguez
With limited competition among other No. 68’s, Rodriguez comes out on top for his efforts in 2019, when he posted a 4.74 ERA in eight starts filling in after both Mike Clevinger and Corey Kluber went down with injuries.
69: Luis Medina
Medina played in parts of three seasons for Cleveland, and he sported No. 69 as a rookie in 1988. Although he only played in 16 games that season, he owned a .917 OPS with six homers.
70: George Kontos
Kontos recorded a 3.38 ERA in 5 1/3 innings over six appearances in 2018. He’s one of three Cleveland players to wear No. 70, preceding James Karinchak (‘19-20) and Hunter Gaddis (‘22).
71: Johnny Hodapp
Hodapp played for Cleveland from 1925-32 and wore No. 71 in ’29, when he hit .327 in 90 games.
72: Jason Giambi
Giambi ended his 20-year career with a stint in Cleveland from 2013-14. In his final season, he wore No. 72, and although he didn’t play in many games, manager Terry Francona often references the tremendous leadership Giambi provided in his short time with the team.
73: Ricardo Rincón
With Kirby listed at No. 35, Rincón is left as the only other player to ever wear No. 73.
75: Mike Walker
Walker is the only player to wear No. 75 for Cleveland.
76: Tom Magrann
He may only have 10 Major League at-bats in his career (with no hits), but Magrann makes the list as the only Cleveland player to wear No. 76.
77: Jack Armstrong
Armstrong pitched one season for Cleveland, when he appeared in 35 games (including 23 starts) in 1992. He was the first player in franchise history to wear No. 77. Parker Messick became the second in 2025.
88: Rene Gonzales
Gonzales became the first to wear No. 88 in 1994. Josh Outman and Phil Maton have since claimed the number.
90: Adam Cimber
One of two Cleveland players to sport No. 90, along with Estevan Florial, the submarine-throwing Cimber pitched for Cleveland for parts of three seasons, recording a 4.30 ERA from 2018-20.
91: Andrew Walters
Walters is the only Cleveland player to wear No. 91. He switched to it in 2025 from No. 63 in a nod to his uncle, Matt Walters -- who donned it while playing college football at the University of Miami.
99: James Karinchak
Karinchak recorded a 3.10 ERA with 253 strikeouts in 165 2/3 innings over 174 games with Cleveland from 2019-23.