The 25 best power hitters in Major League Baseball

Considering Shohei Ohtani is hands down the greatest player Major League Baseball has ever seen, it would be completely outrageous to begin this list with any other slugger. Ohtani currently leads the Majors in home runs and is on pace to clear the fence more than 50 times in 2023. He blasted 34 homers last season and 46 the year before--and oh yeah he can kinda pitch too, remember? Ohtani will unanimously win his 2nd MVP award in a few months, and he'll be the talk of baseball in the week leading up to the trade deadline as the Angels try to navigate the right course of action with their once-in-a-lifetime star. 

It's been a frustrating season for the Mets as a whole and especially for Pete Alonso, who has visibly put too much pressure on himself to carry the club's struggling offense. He was also forced to miss a few weeks on the injured list after being hit in the hand by Atlanta's Charlie Morton. But regardless of some of the adversity he's faced, Alonso's pure power is second to none, and in fact, no-hitter in the game has hit more home runs since Alonso debuted in 2019. He crushed 53 bombs as a rookie, 16 in only 57 games during the COVID season, and 37 and 40 in each of the two years that followed. This year he's on pace to deliver another 40+ campaign, and he's developed into the type of throwback clean-up hitter the game hadn't seen in a long time. 

Any conversation about power hitters has to include the Yankees' Aaron Judge, who walloped an astounding 62 long balls last season to break what many pundits still considered the all-time record of 61. Judge was clubbing home runs at an even more prestigious pace here in 2023 before a toe injury sustained in early June knocked him out for the long haul. Unfortunately, this season the Bombers premier attraction has appeared in less than half their games, but hopefully, he'll be able to return soon and continue putting on the show baseball fans have come to love, because his at-bats are simply must-see TV. 

There are few things more satisfying to watch on a baseball diamond than seeing Kyle Schwarber pulverize a ball into the second deck in right field. The Phillies left fielder has as much or more pure power than any left-handed slugger in the sport today, and when he connects, it's truly a sight to see. Schwarber's 2023 season has been underwhelming, as he's currently sporting a batting average well below .200, but that hasn't prevented him from still residing among the league leaders in long balls. The University of Indiana product already has four campaigns with 30 or more homers on his ledger and needs just a couple more to notch a fifth. 

First baseman Matt Olson arrived in Atlanta last year with the unenviable task of replacing Braves mainstay Freddie Freeman, and somehow, he's been able to vastly outperform expectations and win over the Atlanta fans. Already one of the premier power hitters in the game while with Oakland, Olson has taken it to a new level on the east coast. He launched 34 homers in his first season with the Braves, and is already just about past that in the first four months of 2023. In fact, Olson has been the National League's home run leader for the better part of a month, and has become a regular at the Chop House at Truist Park. 

White Sox outfielder Luis Robert's evolution into one of the very best players in all of baseball is not a surprise to anyone that's been paying attention. From the moment he debuted in the truncated 2020 season, Robert's skillset has been evident, and it was truly a matter of time before he put it all together. Injuries over the previous two seasons prevented him from really arriving nationally, so in many ways, 2023 has been his coming-out party. Playing in almost all of Chicago's games, Robert has been unstoppable and is on pace to club around 45 home runs with more than 40 doubles. 

After failing to secure long-term agreements with fan-favorite franchise icons Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts, the Red Sox were under enormous pressure to not make the same mistake a third time. Luckily for fans in New England, the club locked up third baseman Rafael Devers, and will happily employ one of the most dangerous left-handed hitters in the game for a long time. Devers has connected on more than 30 big flies twice so far in his career, and has a couple of other seasons with more than 20. Through his first 95 games in 2023 he was sitting on 24 homers, and with a big last two months he could potentially top his career high of 38. 

Speaking of Mookie Betts. The veteran outfielder had already been an MVP winner and a four-time all-star game participant before arriving in LA in 2020, and with the Dodgers he's only cemented his legacy. Betts is closing in on 250 career home runs in a little over 1,200 lifetime games, and in 2023 in particular he's taken his power production to a new level. At the time I'm writing this, he's already hit 27 home runs and needs just eight more to match his previous career high. 

Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. has easily been the most dynamic player in the National League so far in 2023, and his electric combination of power and speed is the most difficult skill set to find. Acuna's home run production has tailed off a little last few weeks and he'll have to really get it going to potentially join the 40/40 club, but he'll easily surpass 30 and is one of the primary reasons the Braves have been the best team in baseball this season. 

Similarly to the earlier mentioned Kyle Schwarber, the Dodgers' Max Muncy has not hit for much of an average this season and has spent most of the campaign on the infamous Mendoza Line. That hasn't prevented Muncy from being a useful part of Los Angeles' offensive attack, however. His keen eye at the plate has led to an exorbitant amount of walks that have kept his OBP respectable. And his ability to consistently pound the ball over the fence has made him one of the more dangerous sluggers in the sport. Muncy has already given the Dodgers three seasons with more than 35 home runs, and he's well on his way to a fourth. 

It's obviously been an extremely frustrating and challenging 2023 season for the St. Louis Cardinals, but third baseman Nolan Arenado is certainly not to blame. The veteran right-handed slugger has been one of the most productive hitters in baseball for well over a decade, and while naysayers could have used the Coors Field effect to discount some of his early years, that excuse is long gone. Arenado has already launched 30 or more home runs in the big leagues seven times, and later this summer should officially make it eight. 

Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has as powerful a swing as any hitter in baseball, something that was obviously apparent when he won the Home Run Derby a couple of weeks ago. He would have been the clear-cut AL MVP winner in 2021 when he blasted 48 home runs had the league's unicorn, Shohei Ohtani, not existed. Last season Guerrero's power numbers came down a little, but he still finished with more than 30 home runs, something that should again be the case here in 2023. 

Four years ago, Jorge Soler burst onto the scene as an elite power hitter, crushing 48 homers and driving in 117 runs as a member of the Kansas City Royals. He didn't come close to duplicating that production immediately following, though with the Braves in 2021 he did crush some huge home runs in the postseason that helped the club win the World Series. This season Soler has rediscovered his power stroke, as he's already hit 24 long balls and should easily notch his second 30+ homer campaign. 

For most of his career Angels outfielder Mike Trout has been considered the premier player in all of baseball. His collection of awards is expansive, but the three MVP's he's taken home can by themselves tell the majority of the story. These days Trout has been surpassed by his own teammate, Shohei Ohtani, as the greatest player in the game, but he's still one hell of a running mate. Prior to fracturing his hamate bone in early July, Trout had played in 81 games and crushed 18 home runs. Simple math would tell you that's a full-season pace for 36, which would have been his 8th season with more than 30. The Angels are hoping he can return in early-mid August and the month plus he's going to have missed will make reaching that number close to impossible. But make no mistake, Trout remains one of the most dangerous hitters in the game and his return will obviously boost Los Angeles' push for a playoff spot. 

From one superstar that's missed significant time due to injury this year to another, let's talk about Astros left-handed slugger, Yordan Alvarez. Heading into 2023 the 26-year-old had blasted 70 home runs over the past two seasons, and was firmly established as one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. And over the first few months of this year he was demolishing baseballs at an even more prestigious rate. In his first 58 games Alvarez had connected on 17 long balls and driven in 55 runs, but unfortunately things went off script when he suffered a right oblique strain that kept him out from June 9th to July 26th. Alvarez' chances of setting new career highs with his power numbers have all but evaporated now, but having their best power hitter back for the stretch run will drastically increase Houston's chances of catching Texas in the AL West. 

The Braves are the best team in baseball, and a big reason why is their ability to consistently hit the ball over the fence. Third baseman Austin Riley is yet another Atlanta superstar who can do that as well as anyone. Between '21 and '22 Riley put the ball in the seats 71 times, and through his first 100 games in 2023 he's connected on 22 long balls. Barring something unforeseen he's going to eclipse the 30-home run plateau for the third consecutive campaign, and with a strong finish could come close to driving in 100 runs too. 

The Diamondbacks are fiercely in the mix for a playoff spot, perhaps earlier than anticipated, and a big reason why is the continued evolution of first baseman, Christian Walker, who has blossomed into one of the more dangerous run producers in the National League. Last season the 32-year-old set new career highs with 36 homers and 94 RBI, and he's on track to equal or surpass both totals here in 2023. In his first 99 contests Walker has blasted 22 long balls, while impressively becoming a better all-around hitter at the same time. His batting average, OBP, and SLG% are all noticeably higher than they've been at any point in the past, and a strong case could have been made for him to make his first all-star team a few weeks ago. 

Veteran slugger J.D. Martinez experienced a down season in Boston last year that caused some to write off the 35-year-olds' ability to still be an elite run producer. In his first season with the Dodgers, Martinez has dispelled that assumption in a hurry. Even while missing a few weeks with a back injury, at the time I'm writing this Martinez has already launched 25 homers and driven in 74 runs in only 323 at-bats. His resurgence as been a driving force behind a Dodgers offense that has carried the club in the absence of some of their star pitchers, and if he can continue producing at this level LA will be a tough out in October. 

Sticking with the Dodgers, first baseman Freddie Freeman has been a model of consistency for going on a decade and a half, and this season has certainly been no different. Through his first 101 games Freeman was slashing a phenomenal .328/.409/.581 with 21 homers, 71 RBI, and 35 doubles. He appears primed to eclipse the 30-homer plateau for the fourth time in his career, while most importantly driving in more than 100 runs for the Dodgers in back-to-back seasons. Freeman's departure from Atlanta is still a talking point and will be a major plot line if the two National League behemoths end up meeting in October. 

Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. obviously went through significant adversity over the last year and a half, from suffering a serious off-field injury to earning himself a lengthy PED suspension. But to his credit, since he's been back he's put his head down and shown the world just how talented he can still be. Through his first 83 games in 2023 Tatis Jr. mashed 17 homers and drove in 50 runs, while also adding 23 two-base hits. His team in San Diego has been one of baseball's biggest disappointments this season, but he is certainly not to blame, and it will be exciting to see what he can down the stretch and beyond. 

The Braves clearly have an enormous amount of power in their line-up, but one guy that you don't think about having the serious long ball potential he does is second baseman, Ozzie Albies, who somewhat quietly is one of the more dangerous hitters in the NL. In his first 100 games this season the switch-hitter has already blasted 24 balls over the fence, while driving in 72 runs and adding 17 doubles. He's on pace to shatter his previous career highs in homers and RBI, and he's just further proof of how deep the Braves line-up really is. 

From the moment the Rangers drafted him 8th overall in 2019, third baseman Josh Jung was expected to develop into one of the most dangerous power hitters in baseball, and in '23 that vision has emphatically come to fruition. Through his first 395 at-bats Jung had launched 20 homers and contributed 21 doubles, while driving in 61 runs and establishing himself as a key part of the Rangers offensive attack. Texas is headed towards a dramatic two-month sprint to the finish for the AL West crown, and if they're going to hold off the Astros Jung will have to be front and center. 

Mets' rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez spent years hovering around the top spot of prospect rankings, and now that he's finally got a full-time chance in the Major Leagues he is living up to the hype. In his first 244 big-league at-bats in 2023 Alvarez has already crushed 19 home runs. At just 21-years-old he's already proven capable of clearing the fence at a 40+ homer/season pace, and he's also developed quite a knack for delivering in the clutch. The vast majority of Alvarez's homers have come in the 6th inning or later, and he's already connected on two 9th-inning game-tying home runs against opposing closers. 

From one Met to another, let's talk about New York's star shortstop, Francisco Lindor. The veteran switch-hitter has had a bit of a strange season, as his batting average is considerably down, but his slugging percentage is actually up from a year ago. That's because a disproportionate amount of Lindor's hits as a whole have gone for extra-bases. Through his first 101 games he's launched 19 homers, but he's also contributed 22 doubles and a pair of triples. That means 43 of his first 87 hits have gone for extra-bases--just about half. Lindor already has four seasons with more than 25 homers on his resume, and barring something unforeseen down the stretch, this will be his fifth. 

For a long time now the Cardinals have been fortunate to have two of the most potent right-handed hitters in baseball occupying their corner infield positions, and while we've already discussed Nolan Arenado, let's dive into just how consistent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has been for his entire career. The 35-year-old already has seven seasons with more than 30 home runs on his resume, and is on pace to add an 8th later this season. His RBI production is noticeably down in 2023 but that has much more to do with the struggles of St. Louis' offense as a whole. The Cardinals have dramatically underachieved in 2023 but that's not the fault of their two stars, and it will be interesting to see how they attempt to rectify this year's failures heading into 2024.