Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani appear to be hurtling toward more MVP awards, but the chase for MLB’s home run crown in 2025 favors two different names.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber have already eclipsed 50 home runs, and their special seasons have sparked postseason dreams for their respective teams. Schwarber and the Phillies already know they will be playing in October, while Raleigh and the Mariners are hopeful of winning their first division title in nearly a quarter-century.
Home run milestones might come secondary to each player, but Schwarber and Raleigh are in a close battle to be baseball’s home run king in 2025.
Here’s an updated look at the numbers for both sluggers.
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MLB home run leaders
Updated through games on Sept. 17.
| Player | HRs | Games remaining | Team |
| Cal Raleigh | 56 | 9 | Mariners |
| Kyle Schwarber | 53 | 9 | Phillies |
| Shohei Ohtani | 51 | 10 | Dodgers |
| Aaron Judge | 48 | 10 | Yankees |
| Eugenio Suarez | 46 | 10 | Mariners |
Raleigh leads MLB with 56 home runs to Schwarber’s 53, followed by Ohtani at 51 and Judge at 48. Ohtani and Judge led their respective leagues in 2024, with Judge winning the home run crown.
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How many home runs does Cal Raleigh have?
Raleigh leads MLB with 56 home runs this season. He hit No. 50 on Aug. 25, becoming the first to reach the mark in 2025.
The Home Run Derby champion is on pace to hit 59 home runs, which would break Ken Griffey Jr.’s Mariners single-season record of 56.
Cal Raleigh stats
Stats through Sept. 17.
| Games | AVG | HR | RBI | Hits | OPS |
| 149 | .247 | 56 | 118 | 138 | .948 |
Raleigh has made history in multiple ways in 2025, cruising past Salvador Perez’s record for home runs by a catcher in a single season and breaking Mickey Mantle’s record for most home runs by a switch-hitter in a season.
While Raleigh’s second half has been slower than his dominant first half, both from a power and contact hitting standpoint, he has continued to hit enough for his 2025 season to be considered one of the all-time greats among catchers.
Mariners schedule 2025
| Dates | Opponent |
| Sept. 16-18 | at Royals |
| Sept. 19-21 | at Astros |
| Sept. 23-25 | vs. Rockies |
| Sept. 26-28 | vs. Dodgers |
The Mariners are set to face the Astros in a massive series that could decide the AL West on the season’s second-to-last weekend, and they could still be jockeying for position or even simply for a postseason berth when they face the Dodgers on the final weekend of the regular season.
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How many home runs does Kyle Schwarber have?
Schwarber leads the NL with 53 home runs this season. He hit No. 50 on Sept. 9, becoming the second player to reach the mark in 2025.
Schwarber is on pace to hit 56 home runs, which would leave him two shy of tying Ryan Howard’s single-season Phillies record of 58.
Kyle Schwarber stats
Stats through Sept. 17.
| Games | AVG | HR | RBI | Hits | OPS |
| 153 | .243 | 53 | 128 | 138 | .937 |
Like Raleigh, Schwarber has never been known for his contact hitting, but his power has been undeniable since he first broke into the majors with the Cubs in 2015. The 32-year-old forced himself into the MVP conversation with Ohtani with the best power-hitting season of his career, winning the All-Star Game for the NL with his swing-off performance and making history in August as the 21st player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game.
Schwarber is set to become a free agent after the season, and he would very much like to hit the open market with a second World Series ring.
Phillies schedule 2025
| Dates | Opponent |
| Sept. 19-21 | at Diamondbacks |
| Sept. 23-25 | vs. Marlins |
| Sept. 26-28 | vs. Twins |
The Phillies are simply playing for a bye at this point, as they have locked up the NL East title, but they will spend a few days on the west coast before finishing out the regular season at home against non-contending teams in the Marlins and Twins.
MLB home run record for one season
Barry Bonds’ 73 home runs are an MLB single-season record. Here is the full leaderboard:
| Player | Home Runs | Team | Season |
| Barry Bonds | 73 | Giants | 2001 |
| Mark McGwire | 70 | Cardinals | 1998 |
| Sammy Sosa | 66 | Cubs | 1998 |
| Mark McGwire | 65 | Cardinals | 1999 |
| Sammy Sosa | 64 | Cubs | 2001 |
| Sammy Sosa | 63 | Cubs | 1999 |
| Aaron Judge | 62 | Yankees | 2022 |
| Roger Maris | 61 | Yankees | 1962 |
| Babe Ruth | 60 | Yankees | 1927 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | 59 | Marlins | 2017 |
| Babe Ruth | 59 | Yankees | 1921 |
| Aaron Judge | 58 | Yankees | 2024 |
| Ryan Howard | 58 | Phillies | 2006 |
| Mark McGwire | 58 | Athletics/Cardinals | 1997 |
| Hank Greenberg | 58 | Tigers | 1938 |
| Jimmie Foxx | 58 | Athletics | 1934 |
Raleigh and Schwarber have serious work to do to crack top 16 power-hitting seasons in MLB history, but 50-home run campaigns aren’t something to shrug off. Only 10 players have hit 50 home runs in more than one season, so the feat of one 50-homer season is special.
There have only been nine 60-home run seasons in MLB history, with Judge owning the most recent in 2022.
Schwarber can take aim at Ryan Howard’s Phillies record of 58 home runs in a season, while Raleigh has a chance to break Ken Griffey Jr.’s Mariners record of 56 home runs in a season.
