As of End of Day – Thursday June 5, 2025
Top Headlines
- Diamondbacks Mount Comeback to Sweep Braves
- Two teams with grand expectations that have made significant commitments to their roster and have been struggling to field a consistent offense saw one of the most exciting matchups this year. With the Braves bats scoring six runs in the first 3 innings, the Diamondbacks responded with a 3-run. Despite the 9 runs in the first 4 innings, there were no home runs. That changed soon, however, with the Braves taking on 3 solo home runs across the top of the 5th and the top of the 6th inning. ATL 3B Austin Riley, CF Acuña Jr., and C Drake Baldwin – a rookie who has notched 7 home runs so far this year and is batting .313 — a name to look out for in the future! In undoubtedly one of the most exciting matchups of the year so far, the Diamondbacks did not back down from their 9-3 deficit, with ARI 2B Ketel Marte hitting a solo home run in the top of the 8th to cut the lead to 9-4. With a 10-4 lead in the ninth, the Diamondbacks bats activated, with ARI OFs Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Alek Thomas hitting a pair of home runs to cut the lead to 10-7. Arizona was able to get an RBI double with 2 outs left to take the win 11-10. Despite the big offensive day, the Braves were swept as they hit the road and headed to the Bay Area to take on the Giants this weekend. Arizona is now .500 as they go to Ohio to face Cincinnati this weekend.
- Arizona is now 31-31 and sits in 4 th place in the NL West.
- Atlanta is now 27-34 and sits in 4 th place in the NL East.
- Royals and Cardinals Split Doubleheader; See 23 Total Runs
- The Royals and Cardinals, in a regional AL-NL Central Matchup, had a doubleheader today after a rain delay yesterday. This proved an important series for both teams, who are trying to keep themselves in a playoff position. KC 2B Jonathan India got a solo home run in the top of the 1st to get the fun started. STL C Ivan Herrera would hit the only other home run of the game, a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 8th that retook the lead, 4-3, for St. Louis. The game would ultimately go into extra innings, with three runs scored in the 10th as the Cardinals got the comeback win, 6-5. Despite 11 total runs in the game, every run was scored as a single run – there were no multi-run hits. The Royals, after losing a 3-0 lead, kept the chip on their shoulder into the 2nd part of the doubleheader, nabbing another home run in the top of the 1st – a 2-run shot from KC 3B Maikel Garcia. The Cardinals got a run in the bottom of the 1st to cut the lead to 2-1, only for the top of the 3rd inning to see KC C Freddy Fermín get a 406-foot, solo home run, followed by a couple of other Royals RBIs that gave them a 5-1 lead. Their lead was short-lived, though, as the Cardinals got a 2-RBI double, followed by a 2-run, 395-foot home run from future HOF STL 3B Nolan Arenado, tying the game at 5-5. The Royals responded with a pair of RBI singles in the following innings, and the bats finally slowed down, taking the 2nd game of the doubleheader 7-5.
- Kansas City is now 33-30 and sits in 4th place in the AL Central.
- St. Louis is now 34-28 and sits at 2nd place in the NL Central.
- Cubs Stay Hot; Nearly Shutout Nationals
- The Cubs, one of the best teams in baseball this season, were able to continue it today. CHC OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, one of the most productive hitters in MLB this year, got the Cubs on the board with a 2-run, 412-foot home run in the top of the 1st inning. CHC OF Ian Happy would get the subsequent 3 runs, off a RBI double in the top of the 2nd and a 405-foot, 2-run home run in the top of the 6th. The Nationals got an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to avoid a shutout, but ultimately lost the game and the series, as they stay home vs. the Rangers this weekend and will look to get back on track.
- Washington is now 29-33 and sits at 3rd place in the NL East.
- Chicago is now 39-23 and sits at 1st place in the NL Central.
- Dodgers Split Series; Comeback vs. Mets
- In one of the most anticipated matchups of the year, the Dodgers and Mets closed out their series in Los Angeles today. The Mets were looking for a series win over the Dodgers after taking the first three games, 2-1, and their bats proved ready: with NYM 1B Pete Alonso hitting a home run in back-to-back games, a 408-foot shot in the top of the 2nd, followed by NYM OFs Brandon Nimmo and Sterling Marte hitting a pair of solo home runs in the top of the 3rd, ultimately giving them a 4-0 lead. The Dodgers responded with a 3-run in the bottom of the 3rd, for the Mets to score again in the top of the 8th – another RBI from NYM 1B Pete Alonso – giving them a 5-3 lead. The Dodgers would not back down, with 2 RBIs and a fielder’s choice turned error that gave the Dodgers the 6-5 lead, letting them split the 4-game series.
- New York (M) is now 39-24 and sits in 1st place in the NL East.
- Los Angeles (D) is now 38-25 and sits in 1 st place in the NL West.
- Athletics Offense Gets Hot; Avoid Sweep
- After losing the first 3 games of a 4-game series, the Athletics had one of their best performances of the season, and the best performances for any team this season. After ATH OF Brent Rooker got started with an RBI single in the top of the 1st – OAK 2B Max Muncy – not the Dodgers Max Muncy – with a 3-run home run, just the 2nd of the 23-year-olds career, giving the Athletics a 4-0 lead. Fellow 23-year-old ATH SS Jacob Wilson kept it going with a solo home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The 3rd of the 23-year-old trio, ATH 1B Tyler Soderstrom, notched a monster 433-foot, 2- run home run, giving them a 7-0 lead after just 3 innings. MIN OF Matt Wallner was able to get Minnesota on the board in the 4th inning with a solo home run, but the momentum was short-lived, as ATH 1B Tyler Soderstrom hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 4th to give the Athletics an 11-1 lead. A few more RBIs would be scored; the Athletics won 14-3. Minnesota will look to get back on track as they return home for a series vs. the Blue Jays.
- Minnesota is now 34-28 and sits in 2nd place in the AL Central.
- The Athletics are now 24-40 and sits at last place in the AL West,
Important Stats:
| Top Five Teams in Home Runs during HRC | # of HRs during HRC | Bottom Five Teams in Home Runs During HRC | # of HRs during HRC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. LAD | 8 | 1. OAK | 1 |
| 2. NYM | 7 | 2. SD | 1 |
| 3. ARI | 5 | 3. WAS | 1 |
| 4. DET | 5 | 4. BAL | 2 |
| 5. MIN | 5 | 5. ATL | 2 |
| Top Five Players in Home Runs during HRC | # of HRs |
|---|---|
| 1. Ceddanne Rafela, CF, BOS | 3 |
| 1. Pete Alonso, 1B, NYM | 3 |
| 1. Max Muncy, 3B, LAD | 3 |
| 1. Hunter Goodman, 1B, COL | 3 |
| 1. Will Smith, C, LAD | 3 |
| 5. Francisco Lindor, SS, NYM | 2 |
| 5. Ketel Marte, 2B, ARI | 2 |
| 5. Trea Turner, SS, PHI | 2 |
| 5. Willi Castro, 2B, MIL | 2 |
| 5. Juan Soto, OF, NYM | 2 |
| 5. Michael Busch, 1B, CHC | 2 |
Home Run Leaders by Position (during HRC)
| Position | Player | Team | # of HRs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catcher | Hunter Goodman | COL | 3 |
| First Base | Pete Alonso | NYM | 3 |
| Second Base | Ketel Marte | ARI | 2 |
| Willi Castro | MIN | 2 | |
| Third Base | Max Muncy | LAD | 3 |
| Short Stop | Trea Turner | PHI | 2 |
| Francisco Lindor | NYM | 2 | |
| Outfielder | Ceddanne Rafaela | BOS | 2 |
| Jo Addell | LAA | 2 | |
| Juan Soto | NYM | 2 | |
| Addison Barger | TOR | 2 | |
| Designated Hitter | Mike Trout | LAA | 1 |
All-Time Leader HRs
| Player | HRs | Career Span | # of Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Barry Bonds | 762 | 22 years | 2986 |
| 2. | Hank Aaron | 755 | 23 years | 3298 |
| 3. | Babe Ruth | 714 | 22 years | 2503 |
| 4. | Albert Pujols | 703 | 22 years | 3080 |
| 5. | Alex Rodrigez | 696 | 22 years | 2784 |
| 6. | Willie Mays | 660 | 22 years | 2992 |
| 7. | Ken Griffey Jr | 630 | 22 years | 2543 |
| 8. | Jim Thome | 612 | 22 years | 2543 |
| 9. | Sammy Sosa | 609 | 18 years | 2354 |
| 10. | Frank Robinson | 586 | 21 years | 2808 |
| 11. | Mark McGwire | 583 | 16 years | 1874 |
| 12. | Harmon Killebrew | 573 | 22 years | 2435 |
| 13. | Rafael Palmiero | 569 | 20 years | 2831 |
| 14. | Reggie Jackson | 563 | 21 years | 2820 |
| 15. | Manny Ramirez | 555 | 19 years | 2302 |
| 16. | Mike Schmidt | 548 | 18 years | 2404 |
| 17. | David Ortiz | 541 | 20 years | 2408 |
| 18. | Mickey Mantle | 536 | 18 years | 2401 |
| 19. | Jimmie Foxx | 534 | 20 years | 2317 |
| 20. | Willie McCovey | 521 | 22 years | 2588 |
| 20. | Frank Thomas | 521 | 19 years | 2322 |
| 20. | Ted Williams | 521 | 22 years | 2292 |
All-Time Leader HRs (Active)
| Player | HRs | Career Span | # of Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Giancarlo Stanton | 415 | 14 | 1584 |
| 2. | Mike Trout | 388 | 13 | 1518 |
| 3. | Joey Votto | 356 | 17 | 2059 |
| 4. | Paul Goldschmidt | 347 | 13 | 1824 |
| 5. | Nolan Arenado | 328 | 11 | 1579 |
| 6. | Freddie Freeman | 326 | 14 | 1940 |
| 7. | Bryce Harper | 319 | 12 | 1558 |
| 8. | Manny Machado | 318 | 12 | 1635 |
| 8. | J.D. Martinez | 318 | 13 | 1549 |
| 10. | Carlos Santana | 308 | 14 | 1979 |
Other Fun Facts:
- The 2019 Atlanta Braves hit more home runs in the month of June – 56 – than any other team in history.
- In 2017, the Cincinnati Reds Scooter Gennett became one of the unlikeliest players to hit four home runs in a single game; Gennett hit his record-tying home runs in an HRC game.
- The Atlanta Braves (2023) and Minnesota Twins (2019) hit 307 home runs each in a single season, more than any team in history.
- Babe Ruth led the American League in home runs 12 times; the first time was in 1918 when he hit 11 home runs (and won 13 games as a pitcher).
- In 2021, Miguel Cabrera became the last MLB player to top 500 home runs; 34-yearold Giancarlo Stanton is the current active leader with 408.
- Mark McGwire hit more home runs per at bat – 10.61 – than any player in history. Aaron Judge (11.9) and Pete Alonso (13.27) have the best ratios among current players.
- Sammy Sosa has 3 of the 6 seasons with the most HRs hit, hitting 66 in 1998, 63 in 1999, and 64 in 2001. However, he never once lead the major leagues in home runs. Despite his prowess as a power hitter, he was surpassed in all 3 seasons, in the 1998-99 seasons by Mark McGwire, and in 2001 by Barry Bonds.
- Weirdly enough, no one has ever hit 55 HRs in a season.
- Hitting a grand slam is incredibly impressive enough. Hitting multiple in the same game is nearly unheard of. Even more absurd, multiple grand slams in the same inning? Only one player has accomplished that feat – and that is Fernando Tatis. On April 23rd, 1999, he hit two grand slams as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, facing the Los Angeles Dodgers that day. His son, Fernando Tatis Jr, is now a superstar outfielder for the San Diego Padres.
- The first Home Run was hit by the Chicago White Stockings infielder, Ross Barnes, on May 2, 1876. Despite being nearly 150 years ago, the Chicago White Stockings are still an MLB team – but not the White Sox. The White Stockings actually became the Chicago Cubs.
- Andy “Pepper” Oyler, known as a small player, had the shortest home run in baseball history – an [astonishing] 24-inch home run. As the story goes, the weather conditions in Minnesota were poor that day, and the hard-hit ball went directly into the mud in front of the plate. By the time they had found the ball, Oyler had cleared the bases, for an inside the park home run.
- What’s perhaps more impressive than hitting any Home Run or Grand Slam? Robbing one! How about Mike Cameron, former All-Star and gold glover, known as being one of the only players to amass 250 home runs and 250 steals in their career. On May 2, 2002, not only did he hit 4 Home Runs in the game, with his 5th hit missing the wall by just feet, making it all the way to the warning track, he also robbed a home run.
