Santo Domingo. – Only five Dominican players have achieved one of the most notable offensive feats in Major League Baseball: hitting 30 or more home runs before the All-Star break. A select group composed of Sammy Sosa, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Alex Rodríguez, and José Bautista has left its mark among the great sluggers in baseball history.
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This data becomes relevant with the performance of Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads Major League Baseball with 32 home runs before the mid-season classic, while other names like Aaron Judge (28), Shohei Ohtani (27), Eugenio Suárez (25) and Kyle Schwarber (24) also project to reach that mark. The absolute record is held by Barry Bonds, who hit 39 home runs before the All-Star Game in 2001, a season in which he finished with the historic figure of 73. However, the Dominican contribution to this exclusive club does not go unnoticed.Dominicans with 30+ home runs before the All-Star Break:
- Sammy Sosa (Cubs):
- 1998: 33 home runs before the All-Star Game / 66 total
- 1999: 32 home runs / 63 total
- Albert Pujols (Cardinals):
- 2009: 32 home runs / 47 in total
- David Ortiz (Red Sox):
- 2006: 31 home runs / 54 total
- José Bautista (Blue Jays):
- 2011: 31 home runs / 43 total
- Alex Rodríguez (Yankees):
- 2007: 30 home runs / 54 in total
This type of performance before the All-Star Game not only highlights the offensive power of the players, but also their consistency in a demanding schedule. In the case of the mentioned Dominicans, each of them finished the season with at least 43 home runs, consolidating their legacy as offensive benchmarks of their generation.
As the Mid-Season Classic 2025 approaches, fans will be eager to see if new figures, Dominican or foreign, join this illustrious club.