If you’ve ever sat in the bleachers at Fenway Park, you know the feeling. The crack of the bat sounds different there. It echoes off the steel and concrete in a way that makes your hair stand up. For over a century, the Boston Red Sox have been defined by the guys who could clear that massive wall in left field. We call them the Red Sox home run leaders, but really, they’re the architects of New England’s summer soundtrack.
Honestly, it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about the sheer weight of the names. Ted Williams. David Ortiz. Yaz. These aren’t just ballplayers; they’re folk heroes. But when you actually dig into the stats, some of the names near the top of the list might catch you off guard. You’ve got the obvious legends, sure, but then there are the guys who quietly ground out decades of power without ever being the "face" of the franchise.
The Mount Rushmore of Boston Power
Let’s get the big one out of the way. Ted Williams is the king. He finished his career with 521 home runs, and he did it while missing three of his absolute prime years to serve as a fighter pilot in World War II—and then another chunk of time for the Korean War. Basically, if Teddy Ballgame hadn't been a war hero, he’s probably pushing 700. He hit one out every 14.8 at-bats. That’s just stupid.
Then you have David Ortiz. Big Papi. The man who basically willed the "Curse of the Bambino" out of existence. He’s sitting at second all-time for the Sox with 483 home runs (he had 541 total in his career, but those early years in Minnesota don't count for our purposes here). Ortiz wasn't just a home run hitter; he was a clutch home run hitter. He holds the single-season franchise record, too. In 2006, he launched 54 long balls, passing the legendary Jimmie Foxx.
The All-Time Red Sox Home Run Leaders (Career)
- Ted Williams: 521
- David Ortiz: 483
- Carl Yastrzemski: 452
- Jim Rice: 382
- Dwight Evans: 379
- Manny Ramirez: 274
Wait, Dwight Evans? Yeah, Dewey. Most people remember his arm—which was a literal cannon from right field—but the man was a model of consistency. He played 19 seasons in Boston. He didn't have those massive 40-homer seasons very often, but he just kept hitting 20 to 25 every single year until he was nearly 40 years old.
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Why the Single-Season Records Feel Different
Single-season records are a whole different vibe. It’s about that one year where a guy is just locked in. For a long time, the number was 50. Jimmie Foxx hit 50 in 1938. For 68 years, that was the gold standard in Boston. Think about that. Through the entire era of Williams and Yastrzemski, nobody touched 50.
Then came 2006.
David Ortiz was on a different planet that year. He hit 54. What's wild is that he actually hit more home runs on the road (32) than he did at Fenway (22) that season. People always talk about Fenway being a hitter's park, but for a left-handed pull hitter like Ortiz, that deep right-field triangle is where home runs go to die. He had to be twice as good to get those numbers.
The "What If" Guys: Manny and Jimmie
Manny Ramirez is the most interesting name on this list to me. He’s 6th all-time for the Sox with 274. If he hadn't been traded to the Dodgers in 2008, he likely would have ended up in that 400+ club with Yaz and Ortiz. Manny’s swing was pure art. He hit .312 with a .588 slugging percentage during his time in Boston. That’s higher than Ortiz.
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And then there's Jimmie Foxx. He only spent about six and a half seasons in Boston, yet he’s 9th on the all-time list with 222. If "Double X" had spent his whole career at Fenway, we might be talking about a guy with 600+ career homers. He was the first player to ever win three MVPs, and his 1938 season—where he hit 50 homers and drove in 175 runs—is still arguably the greatest offensive season in team history. 175 RBIs! You don't even see that in video games anymore.
The New Era: Is Rafael Devers Next?
Right now, everyone is looking at Rafael Devers. He’s already cracked the top 10. As of early 2026, he’s sitting with 215 home runs and he's still in his late 20s. Barring injury, Raffy is the only guy on the current roster who has a legitimate shot at chasing down Jim Rice or even Yaz.
He hits the ball harder than almost anyone in the league. His "exit velocity"—that's the speed the ball leaves the bat—is consistently at the top of the charts. But the Red Sox home run leaders list is a marathon, not a sprint. To get to 400, you have to stay healthy and you have to stay in Boston. In today's era of free agency, that second part is sometimes harder than the first.
Modern Misconceptions about Fenway Park
A lot of people think the Green Monster makes it "easy" to hit home runs. Kinda, but not really.
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The wall is only 310 feet away in left field, which is a joke compared to most parks. However, it's 37 feet tall. A lot of balls that would be home runs in Yankee Stadium or Citizens Bank Park end up being "loud doubles" off the wall in Boston.
Jim Rice probably lost 50 career home runs to the Green Monster. He used to absolutely pepper that wall. To be a leader on this list as a right-handed hitter (like Rice or Evans), you have to have enough power to go over the wall, not just hit it.
Surprising Facts about the Leaderboard
- Bobby Doerr, a second baseman, is 8th all-time with 223. People forget how much pop he had for a middle infielder in the 40s.
- Tony Armas led the league with 43 homers in 1984. He only played four seasons in Boston but he was a beast when he was healthy.
- Rico Petrocelli hit 40 home runs as a shortstop in 1969. That was a Major League record for shortstops until Alex Rodriguez came along.
How to Track These Stats Yourself
If you’re a die-hard fan trying to keep up with the Red Sox home run leaders, don't just trust the broadcast graphics. Baseball-Reference is basically the Bible for this stuff. They update daily. You can also check the official MLB "Sortable Stats" page, but be careful—they often mix in "franchise" stats which includes the time the team was the Boston Americans.
Your Next Steps for Following the Record Books
- Watch the Devers Climb: Check the leaderboard every month. He’s moving past guys like Rico Petrocelli and Jimmie Foxx right now.
- Check the Splits: Look at how many homers these guys hit at home versus on the road. It tells you who actually used the Fenway dimensions to their advantage.
- Compare Eras: Use "OPS+" or "wRC+" to see how a guy like Ted Williams compares to David Ortiz. It adjusts for the era they played in, so you can see who was truly more dominant.
The hunt for the next great Boston slugger is always on. Whether it's a kid coming up through Worcester or a big-name signing, the shadow of the Green Monster is always waiting for the next person to try and conquer it.
To keep your finger on the pulse of current rankings, monitor the Red Sox active roster stats on the official MLB site, as milestone markers for players like Devers are often reached in the mid-summer months. Understanding the park factors of Fenway—specifically how the "Triangle" in center-right affects lefties versus how the "Monster" affects righties—will give you a much deeper appreciation for why these specific names sit at the top of the heap.