Cincinnati Reds: Eugenio Suárez and Pete Alonso to meet as Mets visit

Following a successful 5-4 road trip the Cincinnati Reds return home for their final homestand of the year with the MLB home run crown on the line.

While third baseman Eugenio Suárez has been receiving most of the headlines, and rightfully so, he’s not the only member of the team playing long ball this season. Entering play Friday, the Cincinnati Reds (72-81) 218 homers on the season rank fourth in team history and they’re only five homers away from breaking the all-time club record of 222 set by the 2005 Reds team.

Led by Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr., the 2005 edition of the Cincinnati Reds had nine players who hit at least 13 home runs. Fast forward to 2019, and the Redlegs have eight players who have gone deep at least 11 times and have at least three other players within striking distance of reaching double figures.

How did the Reds arrive to the brink of setting the club record? For starters, Eugenio Suárez has set a career-high with 48 bombs this season. However, he’s not the only one to establish a career-best. Derek Dietrich, Jesse Winker and José Iglesias have also turned in career-topping performances in the long ball department.

But it’s not just the veterans dialing long distance. Rookies Aristides Aquino, Nick Senzel and Josh Van Meter have combined to connect for 36 home runs. In addition, second-year players Kyle Farmer and Phillip Ervin have provided 15 souvenirs for those sitting in the bleachers.

Don’t be surprised to see the Reds set the franchise record before the Mets leave town on Sunday evening. The Redlegs have blasted a 113 long balls in 75 games at Great American Ball Park this season. As a team, Cincinnati’s 101 homers in the second half trails only the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in the National League.