Aaron Judge is barreling toward the hallowed 500-homer club. He might be joined by several peers
He could have plenty of company.
The 28-player group could swell significantly in the coming decade, with Yankees teammate Giancarlo Stanton (432), Mike Trout (395), Paul Goldschmidt (370), Manny Machado (359), Freddie Freeman (353), Nolan Arenado (351) and Bryce Harper (346) all within striking distance.
Lurking a little further down the active leaderboard, Kyle Schwarber (314), Eugenio Suarez (307), Mookie Betts (282), Francisco Lindor (267), Shohei Ohtani (257) and Pete Alonso (247) are piling up big numbers and still in their early 30s.
And then there's Juan Soto, who already has 224 homers at the tender age of 26.
Some are stronger candidates than others, given their injury history and age. The 35-year-old Stanton has battled various ailments over the past several seasons, but has been productive when he's played.
The 33-year-old Trout has been slowed by injuries, too, but hit enough homers in his 20s that it would be surprising if he didn't eventually reach the mark.
This generation's group of sluggers is reminiscent of a stretch from 2001 to 2009, when Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., Jim Thome, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Manny Ramirez, Frank Thomas and Gary Sheffield all made it to 500.
The biggest difference is several of those players' accomplishments were tainted — at least to some — because it was part of a era that included widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs.
The club has been relatively hard to join over the past decade. The last to reach 500 was Detroit's Miguel Cabrera on Aug. 22, 2021.
Before that, Red Sox star David Ortiz slugged his 500th homer in 2015.
Even among the elite sluggers, Judge stands out for the speed in which he's piling up dingers. Many forget he didn't play his first full big league season until he was 25, but the 33-year-old has needed just 1,088 games to reach 350 homers.
Unsung non All-Stars
This group of players won't be featured at the All-Star game in Atlanta on Tuesday, but they are having great under-the-radar seasons through the first half.
Ceddanne Rafalea, Red Sox: The 24-year-old center fielder has blossomed in his second full MLB season and is hitting .271 with 14 homers, 48 RBIs and 13 stolen bases, all while playing excellent defense.
Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch, Cubs: Hoerner continues to be one of the game's best second basemen, batting .283 with 18 doubles, 39 RBIs and 16 stolen bases, all while providing Gold Glove-caliber defense. The 27-year-old Busch is batting .290 with 19 homers, providing the NL Central-leading Cubs some thump.
Cristopher Sanchez, Phillies: The left-hander has been a big part of a stacked Philadelphia rotation with a 8-2 record, 2.50 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 115 innings. He put an exclamation point on his first half on Sunday, giving up just one run over 7 1/3 innings in a 2-1 win over the Padres.
Framber Valdez, Astros: The righty had a terrific first half with a 10-4 record, 2.75 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 121 innings.
Trivia Question
Soto's 224 career homers lead the pack for MLB players who haven't turned 30 years old. Who are the other players in their 20s that round out the top five?
Here come the Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox have won 10 straight games heading into the All-Star break — their longest winning streak since 2018 — setting up an intriguing second half for a club that looked very average for most of the season's first three months.
Rafaela has been one of the major catalysts for Boston's surge, hitting a walk-off homer on Friday night and another two-run homer in Sunday's win.
The AL East race could be a barnburner as summer turns to fall with the Blue Jays (55-41), Yankees (53-43), Red Sox (53-45) and Rays (50-47) all in the mix. Even the last-place Orioles aren't completely out of it yet, sitting at 43-52 which is 11 1/2 games out of first place.
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Yet he also spent most of 2024 alongside Justin Turner, the veteran utilityman and a trailblazer in last decade's hitting evolution. 'He was a mentor to me last year, someone I can lean on and talk to,' Raleigh says of Turner. 'Worked with him a little bit in the offseason. Growing as a player, understanding the league. It's not just the physical stuff; it's also about the mental capacity and trusting your abilities.' There was also a tangible payoff: The Mariners signed Raleigh to a six-year, $105 million extension as this season began, striking what Raleigh calls 'a great partnership. 'It's like home now.' 'I've always had a big butt' Yet Raleigh will spend this week closer to his roots. Todd and mother Stephanie and T and some two dozen others will be on hand as the world heralds Big Dumper, a label his mother cringes a bit at yet suits Raleigh since former teammate Jarred Kelenic introduced it to the world in 2021. 'I've always had a big butt,' says Raleigh. 'Big Dumper works for me. Everybody likes it.' They're all getting a taste of the good life in Atlanta, taking the field at Truist Park as Raleigh pays forward the chances his dad afforded him. 'My dad gave me the opportunity to be bat boy for his teams. I still remember to this day, some of my favorite memories on the baseball field,' says Raleigh. 'Trying to do the same thing for him. Hopefully he's not too nervous tonight. 'T saw Livvy Dunne today, got a picture with her at the hotel. So he doesn't even care about the Derby anymore.' And while Raleigh is growing into his skin as a hardball icon, the role reversal is not lost on him. He's the one touted for the Derby, the one with the unavoidable nickname, the one fielding queries, instead of asking them, on the bases or behind the cage as the game's greatest players convene. 'I feel like I was the guy asking questions a lot more often,' says Raleigh. 'And now it's the other way around. It's a good feeling. You want to give back to players. I'm the same way; I still ask questions. 'I'm curious.' And so is the baseball world, wondering where this surreal journey will finish this year.
