MLB breaks single-season record with 6,106th HR
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Jonathan Villar hit the 6,106th home run of the 2019 season Wednesday to help Major League Baseball set the record for the most round-trippers in a single season, MLB announced.
Home run 𝗡𝗼. 𝟲,𝟭𝟬𝟲 of the @MLB season was a blast 💥@JRvillar6 | #Birdland pic.twitter.com/dAHHuFysjZ
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 12, 2019
Villar's seventh-inning blast against the Los Angeles Dodgers broke the previous league record established in 2017.
An Orioles player hitting the historic home run is somewhat ironic. Baltimore pitchers had allowed a league-leading 280 home runs this season before Villar hit his 21st long ball of the campaign.
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (47) and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (45) lead their respective leagues in home runs this season, while 108 players had 20 or more round-trippers entering Wednesday's games.
The Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees have been the league's biggest home-run contributors from a team perspective, combining for 553 long balls so far.
2017 and 2019 are the only two seasons in MLB history with at least 6,000 home runs hit.