Who doesn’t enjoy a home run? Who cares, this story isn’t for them, anyway. This one’s for the long ball-lovers.

With the way dingers are flying off the bat of some players, we’re bound to see some homer history in 2025. Just how much history, though? That’s what we’ll be finding out over the last weeks of the season, which will — fingers crossed — be full of home runs.

Statistics updated through Aug. 3, 2025.

Cal Raleigh: 42 HR, 110/113 G, 61-HR Pace

The Mariners’ backstop is MLB’s home run leader, and as of now the only one to hit at least 40 of them in 2025. He’s sat out three games with Seattle this season, which means his pace rounds down to 61 home runs at the moment assuming he plays in the rest of them. He likely will need at least one day off between now and the end of the year, however, so it’s vital that he has a big week to pump up his home run total and his pace at some point.

Vital for what purpose? Raleigh is chasing three different home run records. He’s already hit the most homers by a switch-hitting catcher in a single season ever, passing Todd Hundley’s 41 bombs in 1996, but next up is the single-season record for homers by any catcher: Salvador Perez’s 48 from 2021. Perez also led the majors that year, which Raleigh might very well manage. Perez and Johnny Bench — on two occasions — are the catchers who have pulled that off before. So Raleigh might have the most home runs by a catcher and the most home runs by a catcher leading the league in homers, depending on how the rest of the year shakes out.

If Raleigh reaches 50 home runs, he’ll be the 33rd player in league history to do so. Just 32 have ever hit 50 home runs, although 10 of those players have done so multiple times, and their repeat appearances make up the bulk of the 50-homer seasons in MLB.

In addition, Big Dumper is chasing Mickey Mantle’s record of 54 homers by a switch-hitter in a single season — Mantle is not only the only switch-hitter with a 50-homer season, but he’s got both instances, as he hit 54 in 1961, and 52 in 1956. 

After that is Aaron Judge’s American League record for homers, 62. Judge broke Roger Maris’ longstanding mark — also from 1961 — in 2022. This is the only record Raleigh has a realistic shot at and is also currently behind the pace for. Not by much, however, at 61.

Aaron Judge: 37 HR, 103/112 G, 55-HR Pace

Aaron Judge has missed some time thanks to an IL stint for an elbow injury, but he’s expected to return on Aug. 5 as the Yankees’ DH. That’s great news for New York and for Judge’s chances at history: if he reaches 50 homers in 2025, it will be the fourth time he’s hit at least that many. That would tie the MLB record currently held by Babe Ruth, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. Judge is still all of 33 years old: if he hits 50 homers in 2025, given his power, another 50-homer campaign before he calls it a career isn’t out of the question. One year at a time, however: Judge can tie the record this season, and worry about breaking it down the road.

Shohei Ohtani: 38 HR, 110/112 G, 55-HR Pace

Ohtani is tied for the National League lead in home runs, which is nothing new — the Dodgers’ slugger hit 54 in 2024 and led the NL — but he wasn’t also a pitcher then, as he was still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Ohtani is back on the mound as a two-way star, and while he hasn’t spent the whole season there, the grind of his schedule is still intense and unique to him.

To give you a sense of rarity, Wes Ferrell is the record holder for the most home runs in a season by a pitcher who only did that, with nine, set back in 1931. Ohtani isn’t hitting all of his homers in games he’s pitching, so we can really only compare him to himself. His career-high for home runs in years in which he’s pitched is 46; Ohtani is on pace for 55. The first-ever starting pitcher who also hit 50 home runs the same season? It’s looking pretty likely at this stage.

Kyle Schwarber: 38 HR, 111/111 G, 55-HR Pace 

Schwarber is the NL player that Ohtani is tied with for the lead in home runs, thanks to Sunday’s blast. Schwarber has never hit 50 home runs before, meaning he could join Raleigh as a first-timer in that club (or get there on his own). 

He’s played in every game for the Phillies to this point, and his pace has him clearing 50 homers with room to spare, as well. 

Eugenio Suárez: 36 HR, 110/113 G, 52-HR Pace

Suárez is yet another potential first-time 50-homer player: if all three of Raleigh, Schwarber and Suárez make it there, the 50-homer club will jump from 32 members to 35. 

Because of a midseason trade, Suárez and Raleigh also have the opportunity to be just the second-ever instance of teammates with 50-homer seasons: Maris and Mantle pulled it off in 1961, when Maris hit 61 and Mantle 54. Suárez hasn’t been there the entire season, no, but he’s still got nearly two months of season — and 14 more homers — before the finish line.

Most 50-Homer Players in a Season

There have never been five players hitting 50 home runs in the same season: this group of five could make history there, and they’re all currently on pace for over 50, with Suarez bringing up the rear at 52.

There have been two seasons of four players with over 50 home runs, in 1998 and 2001. In both instances, there were two players with over 60 homers, with one of them hitting at least 70. Mark McGwire hit 70 in ‘98, with Sammy Sosa’s 66 finishing second, and in ‘01 it was Barry Bonds’ 73 and Sosa once again, this time with 64.

There have been just 13 seasons with more than one 50-homer player: 1938, 1947, 1961, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2017 and 2024. 

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