Can Rowdy Tellez become third Brewer with back-to-back 35-HR seasons?

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez led the team in home runs last year with 35, a career high. The 28-year-old, six-year MLB veteran is off to a great start in 2023 with eight home runs in the team’s first 25 games (he has played in 23 of them). His eight long balls are fifth in the majors.

At this pace, Tellez could have another big year with regards to home runs. It’s unlikely he will continue at this pace that would give him 52 on the season, but a healthy Tellez could become the first Milwaukee Brewers player with 40+ HRs since Christian Yelich had 44 in 2019.

Rowdy could also become the third Brewers player to have back-to-back seasons with 35 or more homers. His 35 home runs last season were the 20th time in team history that a Milwaukee player had 35 or more in a season. Prince Fielder and Gorman Thomas hit 35+ HRs for the Brewers in three seasons, most in club history.

Milwaukee Brewers players with most 35-homer seasons

Here are the players who have hit 35 or more home runs for the Brewers in a season.

3 seasons: Prince Fielder, Gorman Thomas
2 seasons: Ryan Braun, Richie Sexson, Christian Yelich
1 season: Jesus Aguilar, Jeromy Burnitz, Chris Carter, Bill Hall, Mike Moustakas, Ben Oglivie, George Scott, Rowdy Tellez

Gorman Thomas and Christian Yelich are the only Brewers to hit 35 or more home runs in back-to-back seasons. Thomas had 45 homers in 1971 and then the following year hit 35 for the Brew Crew. Yelich had back-to-back seasons with 35+ home runs in 2018 and 2019, his first two years with Milwaukee, when he hit 36 in 2018 and then 44 in 2019.

Alex Rodriguez and Babe Ruth top the list with the most seasons with 35+ home runs with 12. They are followed by Mike Schmidt and Hank Aaron (11 seasons each) and Albert Pujols, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Willie Mays and Jimmie Foxx (10 seasons each).

A rare stat from Rowdy’s 35-HR season last year

One more stat: Rowdy Tellez had a batting average of .219 last season when he hit his 35 home runs. That .219 average is the lowest batting average of any Brewers player to hit 35 or more home runs in a season. Of the 749 times that a player has hit 35+ home runs in the Modern Era of baseball (since 1900), this was only the 10th time that a player hit 35+ home runs and had a batting average under .220 the same season.