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Kyle Schwarber, Cal Raleigh and Shohei Ohtani Help Make Rarely Seen Home Run History

Three players now have 45 home runs or more, and we aren't even to September 1.
Brady Farkas|
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) against the Seattle Mariners at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 18.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) against the Seattle Mariners at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 18. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia PhilliesLos Angeles DodgersSeattle Mariners

When Shohei Ohtani hit his 45th home run of the season on Sunday afternoon for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he helped make some rarely seen baseball history, according to @OptaSTATS:

Today, Shohei Ohtani became the 3rd player to reach 45+ home runs this season (Cal Raleigh, Kyle Schwarber).

It's the 3rd time in MLB history at least 3 players have reached 45 HR before September along with 1998 (McGwire/Griffey Jr/Sosa/Vaughn) and 2001 (Bonds/Sosa/Gonzalez).

Schwarber's big year

Now 32, Schwarber is setting himself up for a massive payday in the offseason. A free agent to be, he's got 45 homers and a league-best 109 RBIs. He's also hitting .248 with a .371 on-base percentage while owning an OPS+ of 154.

The Phillies currently lead the National League East and are working for their first World Series title since 2008, and Schwarber is a major reason why they could get it.

He's homered twice in his last five games.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) runs the bases after hitting a two RBI home run during the eighth inning
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) runs the bases after hitting a two RBI home run during the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 20. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Raleigh is making history

The Mariners backstop went deep twice on Sunday in an 11-4 win over the A's, giving him a league-best 49 for the season. He now has the most home runs of any catcher in single-season history, and he's surpassed Ken Griffey Jr. for the most multi-home run games in team history (9) in any one season.

He's battling with Aaron Judge for the American League MVP Award.

Ohtani time

Now hitting .280 with 45 homers and 84 RBIs, Ohtani looks like the frontrunner for the National League MVP as well. He's got an OPS of 1.008, an OPS+ of 177, and he's got 17 steals. Furthermore, he's returned to the mound, making his case even stronger. He's already won three MVP awards and is one of just two players (Frank Robinson) to win the award in both leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) is congratulated after scoring during the first inning against the S
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) is congratulated after scoring during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Aug. 24. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The 1998 home run race

Widely credited with saving baseball following the 1994 strike, McGwire and Sosa both worked to surpass the 61 home runs hit by Roger Maris in 1961. McGwire led the way with 70, while Sosa hit 66. Griffey checked in with 56 to lead the American League. It was the second straight year that he had hit 56 for Seattle.

The 2001 home run race

Bonds set the major league record for homers in a season this year, hitting 73 to surpass McGwire's single-season high. Sosa hit 64 blasts, marking his third season over 60, and his 160 RBIs led baseball. Gonzalez won the Home Run Derby at Safeco Field in Seattle, and he finished the year with 57.

Most importantly, he led the D-backs to the World Series title, delivering the game-winning hit in Game 7 against the New York Yankees.

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CROCHET TIME: Garrett Crochet was brilliant against the Yankees over the weekend, putting him on a list with only Chris Sale and Pedro Martinez in Red Sox history. CLICK HERE:

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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