If you had Cal Raleigh on your bingo card to lead the league in long balls a year ago, honestly, you’re either a time traveler or the world’s biggest Mariners optimist. But here we are. The 2025 season didn't just wrap up; it basically shattered every expectation we had about who the "big boppers" in this league really are.
When we talk about the mlb leader home runs 2025 race, we’re talking about a year where the established giants like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani were actually looking up at a catcher from Seattle.
Cal Raleigh didn't just win; he became the first catcher to hit the 60-home run mark. Let that sink in for a second. In a sport where catchers usually focus on framing and keeping their knees from exploding, "Big Dumper" went out and put up a historic 60. It’s one of those stats that looks like a glitch in a video game, but the tape doesn't lie. He paced the American League and the entire MLB, proving that the power surge in the Pacific Northwest is very, very real.
The Shocking Reality of the MLB Leader Home Runs 2025 Leaderboard
Look, everyone expected Judge to be there. And he was—blasting 53 homers and becoming the first player to hit 50+ in four straight seasons. That's inner-circle Hall of Fame stuff right there. But even with a 10.1 WAR season and an OPS that looks like a phone number, Judge ended up fourth on the list.
The silver medal went to Kyle Schwarber, who finally cracked the 50-homer club with 56. The Phillies' designated hitter has always been a "three true outcomes" king, but 2025 was his masterpiece. He was a massive reason why Philly nabbed the second seed in the NL.
Then you have Shohei Ohtani. Fresh off his 50-50 season in '24, he "settled" for 55 home runs in 2025. It’s almost funny to say he settled for 55, especially when he was also pitching to the tune of a 2.87 ERA. Ohtani broke his own Dodgers franchise record, but in the context of the mlb leader home runs 2025 race, he was just part of the supporting cast for Raleigh’s historical run.
The Guys Who Snuck Up on Us
We can't ignore the youth movement that completely disrupted the leaderboard. Junior Caminero over in Tampa Bay? The kid is 21 and just casually dropped 45 home runs while playing elite third base. He’s basically the reason the Rays stayed relevant in a brutal AL East.
- Cal Raleigh (SEA): 60 HR
- Kyle Schwarber (PHI): 56 HR
- Shohei Ohtani (LAD): 55 HR
- Aaron Judge (NYY): 53 HR
- Eugenio Suárez (SEA): 49 HR
Suárez tying his career high with 49 was a massive story, especially with the way he and Raleigh transformed T-Mobile Park from a "pitcher's haven" into a launch pad. If you were a pitcher facing the Mariners this year, you basically just prayed for rain.
Breaking Down the New York Power Shift
It was a weird year to be a Mets fan, though maybe "weird" is just the default state there. Juan Soto moved across town, and while he didn't lead the league, he put up a career-best 43 home runs. But the real story wasn't just the homers; it was the 38 stolen bases. Soto joining the 30-30 club while hitting 40+ bombs? That’s some Rickey Henderson-meets-Ted Williams hybrid logic.
Pete Alonso, playing in what many think was his final year in Queens, didn't disappoint either. He hit 38, which is lower than his peak, but he compensated by driving in 126 runs. He’s still "Polar Bear" Pete, but in the mlb leader home runs 2025 landscape, 38 homers almost feels like a "quiet" year. That tells you everything about how juiced the league's top-end power was this season.
The Rookie Who Broke the Mold
Nick Kurtz for the Athletics (now in Sacramento) is a name you need to memorize. 36 home runs in 117 games. If he had played the full 162, we might be talking about a 50-homer rookie season. He finished with a 1.002 OPS and a 5.4 WAR, making the Rookie of the Year race a foregone conclusion. The A's might be moving, but Kurtz is the kind of player you build an entire franchise around.
Why 2025 Felt Different for Power Hitters
Kinda feels like the approach has changed, doesn't it? We saw Jo Adell finally have that breakout we've been waiting for in Anaheim, hitting 37. Tyler Ward joined him with 36. Even Byron Buxton—bless his health—played a full season and notched 35.
The "launch angle" era has evolved into something more precise. It's not just about swinging up; it's about exit velocity consistency. Ohtani and Judge still lead the "hard-hit" metrics, but Raleigh’s 60 homers came from a sheer volume of fly balls that found the seats. He wasn't necessarily hitting them 480 feet every time, but he was hitting them 390 feet in exactly the right spots.
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Surprising Names in the Top 20
- Jo Adell (LAA): 37 HR (A career rebirth)
- Riley Greene (DET): 36 HR (The centerpiece of the Tigers' future)
- Byron Buxton (MIN): 35 HR (Finally healthy!)
- Michael Busch (CHC): 34 HR (The Cubs' best trade find in years)
Practical Takeaways for the Next Season
If you're looking at these mlb leader home runs 2025 stats and wondering what's next, keep an eye on the catcher position. Raleigh has set a new blueprint for "power catchers." We might see more teams willing to trade defensive perfection for a guy who can change the scoreboard with one swing.
Also, don't sleep on the "Sacramento effect." The Athletics' temporary home seems to be playing quite small, which helped Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers (31 HR) put up massive numbers. If you're into fantasy baseball or just tracking stats, that ballpark is going to be a major factor until their permanent stadium is ready.
To really get ahead of the curve for 2026, keep these specific action items in mind:
- Watch the AL West Power Creep: Between Raleigh, Suárez, and the Angels' duo, the AL West is no longer just about the Rangers and Astros' stars.
- Monitor Juan Soto's Mobility: His 38 steals in 2025 suggest he’s becoming a different kind of threat. If he keeps this speed, he's the MVP favorite for 2026.
- Draft Catcher Power Early: Cal Raleigh just proved a catcher can win you a league. The days of waiting until the last round for a backstop are over.
The 2025 season was the year of the unexpected. From a 60-homer catcher to a 40-40 adjacent Juan Soto, the record books had to be rewritten every single week. Whether Raleigh can repeat this remains to be seen, but for now, he wears the crown.