New York Yankees hit 250th HR, join elite group of five teams
2005 Texas Rangers, 260 HR
~Finished 3rd in NL West (79-83)
~5.2 percent of MLB total HR hit that season
~93 more than the average team
~9 players with double-digit dongs
The Texas Rangers hit plenty of home runs in the decade of the 2000s. They finished second in baseball with 2155 dingers. Only the Yankees hit more (2167). This 2005 team was the most powerful of them all, falling just four big blasts short of the all-time record.
Like the 1997 Mariners, the 2005 Rangers had nine players with double-digit dingers. Mark Teixeira led the way, with a career-high 43. Tex was in just his third season in the big leagues and already in the midst of a run of 10 straight seasons with 20 or more home runs to start his career.
Alfonso Soriano was in his second season in Texas after five seasons with the Yankees. He hit 36 homers in 2005. He also had 30 steals, making him a 30-30 guy for the third time in his career. He would take it up a notch in 2006, when he hit 46 homers and stole 41 bases for the Washington Nationals.
Along with big power from Teixeira and Soriano, the Rangers had five guys hit between 21 and 29 homers. Some of these were surprising sources of power. David Dellucci hit 29 long balls this season, which was 12 more than he would hit in any other season of his career. Kevin Mench and Hank Blalock both launched 25 bombs and Michael Young hit 24. Rod Barajas had his only 20-plus homer season. He hit 21.
Rounding out the double-digit homer guys were Gary Matthews, Jr., with 17, and Richard Hidalgo, with 16. Hidalgo hit 16 in 88 games, but an ugly .289 OBP made him a well below average hitter (80 wRC+). This would be his final year in the big leagues.