Eugenio Suárez sets Venezuelan record with 48th homer
Reds 3B Eugenio Suarez blasts his 48th homer of the year, keeping pace with Pete Alonso who launched his 49th earlier on Wednesday. With the homer, Suarez becomes the first Venezuelan born player to hit 48 home runs in a single-season in MLB history.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “I never thought I’d be part of Venezuelan history. They call me the ‘King of the homer.’ I just have to enjoy it, man. This is a very special moment for me.”
After Eugenio became the Venezuelan with the most home runs in a season, the @Rojos team celebrated at the clubhouse singing the national anthem of Venezuela.
The home run broke a tie with Andres Galarraga for most home runs in a season by a Venezuelan born player.
Eugenio Suarez is now atop the list all by himself. There have been 407 Venezuelan’s to have played in Major League Baseball. None of them have ever hit more homers in a season that the Cincinnati Reds third baseman.
The “Big Cat” Andrés Galarraga congratulating
That home run also tied him with Edgardo Alfonzo for 14th on the All-Time home run list for Venezuelan born players with 146. He’s got a long way to go to top that one. Miguel Cabrera currently has 475 home runs. Andres Galarraga is second on the list with 399. They are the only two players with more than 300 in their careers.
It wasn’t just the Venezuelan born player record, though. The 48th home run of the year also ties the National League record for most home runs by a third baseman. Mike Schmidt and Adrian Beltre shared the record before Suarez joined them. Schmidt set the record in 1980 with the Phillies. Beltre joined him as a member of the Dodgers when he crushed 48 homers in 2004.
There are nine games remaining this season for the Cincinnati Reds. One more home run would get Eugenio Saurez the National League record for homers by a third baseman all to himself. He’s going to need four more to tie the Major League record. Alex Rodriguez hit 52 as a third baseman back in 2007. That, of course, would also match the Reds organizational record set by George Foster in 1977 when he took home league Most Valuable Player honors.
