MLB: Ten Players Who Have Surprised With Their Home Run Power
By Joshua Mayer
With 5,447 home runs this year, the 2016 season is already fifth all-time in single season long balls dating back to MLB’s origins in 1872. Many big-time home run hitters are contributing to the total, but who are the others that have increased their home run totals by ridiculous margins?
The MLB home run leaderboard does not exactly boast the same names baseball fans are accustomed to seeing year in and year out. At the same time, current leader Mark Trumbo is a prolific power hitter who has hit 30+ home runs twice before, with another year of 29. Behind Trumbo is Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, who has never hit 30+ homers before, but did have 28 in 2015.
Beyond those two surprises are familiar names Edwin Encarnacion, Nelson Cruz, and Nolan Arenado. Looking a little further, names like David Ortiz, Chris Davis, Todd Frazier, Miguel Cabrera, and Evan Longoria are there to help ease us baseball fans confusion after seeing Trumbo and Dozier at top.
Even with the regulars at the top, the home runs must be coming from somewhere else. After all, MLB cannot be on pace to top 2015’s home run total by 748 just with the usual culprits smashing baseballs over the fences. There have been players coming out of nowhere to hit double-digit dingers, as well as everyday players increasing their power by insane amounts this season.
The increase in homers this season has been much chronicled, even by me, but let’s take a look at the top 10 MLB players who have surprised the baseball world with their home run totals so far in 2016. List is ranked by how big of a surprise/how impressive the power increase has been.