LAD Team HR leaders, 25 or younger

Phil Gurnee ♦ October 23, 2017 ♦ Leave a comment

With Cody Bellinger leading the Dodgers in home runs at age 21, the Dodgers have now had thirteen players twenty-five or younger to lead the team in home runs. Bellinger could make this list four more times. Let that sink in.

Bellinger not only ended up with more home runs than Mike Piazza, he did it at age 21 compared to the age 24 season of HOF Mike Piazza.

Jim Lefebvre tied for the team lead in 1965 with twelve and Lou Johnson.   That team won the World Championship with two players leading their team in home runs with a measly 12. Willie Mays hit 52 that year. It was not 1968 the year of the pitcher. Lefebvre would also lead the team in home runs in 1966 with 24 at age 24. The only other player to match his age in home runs was Frank Howard who in 1960 at age 23 hit 23 home runs,

Howard and Lefebvre were two of the most interesting players to ever play for the Dodgers. You can read about Howard here and Lefebvre here.

The only surprise to me on this list is that Franklin Stubbs once led the team in home runs.

One HOF on this list in Mike Piazza, and one future HOF on the list in Adrian Beltre.

Frank Howard was a Hall of the Very Good

Both Howard and Beltre were gone from the Dodgers before they did their best work career-wise.

No one on this list ever won an MVP though Piazza came in 2nd twice, and Beltre came in 2nd once, and Matt Kemp came in 2nd once though many of us feel that Kemp should have won the MVP in 2011.

I was surprised to see that Pedro Guerrero never made this list, but he didn’t become a full-time Dodger until age 26.

No Garvey and no Cey