The Los Angeles Dodgers broke the franchise record against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday with their second of the day and 236th home run this season. Russell Martin delivered the new mark with an opposite-field shot that cleared the pool in right-center field.
This year’s team continued a trend of setting a new home run record since the 2017 club shattered the franchise record with 221 home runs. After improving on that total by 14 last year, the Dodgers may very well again add onto it by a double-digit figure as one month remains in the regular season.
Last season’s team was led by 35 home runs from Max Muncy. Cody Bellinger was second on the team with 25, and eight others clubbed at least 13. It was the first time in franchise history the Dodgers had 10 players reach double-digit homers.
Among those, seven slugged a minimum of 20, which set both a separate franchise record and National League all-time mark. In 2017, the Dodgers had six players hit at least 20 home runs, which at the time set the franchise record.
The 2019 Dodgers may not produce that abundance of 20-home run hitters, but they nonetheless could still make franchise history for players with 10. David Freese reached the benchmark in his first at-bat on Sunday, making for the 10th Dodger to hit double-digits.
Chris Taylor will make it 11 players with his next home run, and Matt Beaty is only three from joining the group as well.
Overall, the Dodgers are paced by a career-best 42 home runs from Bellinger. Muncy has 33, Joc Pederson has slugged 27 and Justin Turner is up to 26. Muncy, who is expected to miss at least two weeks while recovering from a right wrist fracture, is two homers from tying his career high.
Pederson has already surpassed his personal best of 26 set during an All-Star campaign in 2015, and Turner is one off tying a career high set in 2016.
The Dodgers as a team rank third in the Majors for most home runs hit this season. They trail the Minnesota Twins, who already have broken the all-time MLB record, and New York Yankees.
The NL team record for home runs in a season is 249, set by the 2000 Houston Astros.
