TORONTO — Blue Jays outfielder George Springer hit his 55th career leadoff home run in Sunday’s game against Oakland, breaking a tie with Alfonso Soriano and moving him into sole possession of second place on baseball’s all-time list.
Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson leads with 81 career leadoff home runs, including a single-season high nine with the Yankees in 1986. Henderson’s 3,081 games played are the fourth-highest total in MLB history.
Springer connected off Oakland Athletics right-hander Luis Medina‘s 1-0 pitch, driving it 392 feet to left. The homer was Springer’s 11th of the season.
A four-time All-Star and MVP of the 2017 World Series with Houston, Springer set an Astros single-season record with 12 leadoff home runs in 2019.
Sunday’s blast was Springer’s 16th leadoff shot with the Blue Jays, his team since the start of the 2021 season. He set Toronto’s single-season mark for leadoff homers with nine in 2022.