Jose Abreu hits league leading 29th home run (video)
By Mike Marteny
White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu hit his league leading 29th home run of the season this afternoon against the Cleveland Indians. This moved him past the Orioles’ Nelson Cruz, who has 28.
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Abreu now has 29 homers and 73 RBI. He is on pace to break Mark McGwire‘s rookie home run record of 49 set in 1987.
What about the RBI record, you ask? That one will be a little more difficult. Ted Williams owns the record for most RBI by a rookie with 145 set in 1939. That said, only six rookies have eclipsed the 100 RBI mark. Williams, Walt Dropo (144 in 1950), Hal Trosky (142 in 1934), Dale Alexander (137 in 1929), Albert Pujols (130 in 2001), and Joe DiMaggio (125 in 1936). Abreu will most certainly reach the 100 mark, but catching any of these men is far from certain.
Abreu would have a better chance at catching the Splendid Splinter had he not missed 14 games win an injury.
It would seem that Abreu is the runaway AL Rookie of the Year winner. The 27-year-old is still a rookie in major league baseball despite all of his achievements in Cuban leagues and international play.
Sorry, George Springer! In any normal year, the Astros outfielder would likely win the award.
Abreu will take his power display to Minneapolis next week for Tuesday’s All Star game, where he is a reserve for the American League.