Although the home run hitting isn’t as explosive as it was a few years ago, there are still a number of great sluggers in Major League Baseball. Here’s a look at the hottest home run hitters in all of baseball.

1) Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres
Considering that he hits in a pitchers ballpark, it’s amazing the type of power numbers Adrian Gonzalez has so far in 2009. The Padres first baseman already has 22 homers in 52 games. To put that in perspective, he hit 36 homers last year in 162 games. He’s also hitting .292 with 43 RBI.

2) Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies
In the offseason, the Phillies didn’t make too many moves after winning the 2008 World Series championship. However, the one big move they made has worked out wonderfully. Raul Ibanez, who the Phillies signed as a free agent, has 19 homers to go along with a .340 batting average and 51 RBIs.

3) Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays
In the American League, Carlos Pena has been leading the league in homers virtually the entire 2009 season. The native of the Dominican Republic has 17 dingers and 41 RBIs. The only bad news for the Rays is that Pena is sporting an anemic .228 ERA.

4) Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
When you think of dangerous sluggers, the name that probably pops to mind is Albert Pujols. He’s probably the last batters that pitchers want to see at the plate. So far this season, Pujols is batting .339 with 16 homers and 45 RBIs. Those stats and his overall presence in the lineup have him as an early MVP favorite in the NL.

5) Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
After starting off slowly, it’s now obvious why the Yankees gave Mark Teixeira a $180 million contract this past offseason. He can definitely swing the bat. He has 16 homers and 33 RBIs. Following an April that saw him hit just .200, his batting average soared to .330 in May.

Tags: Adrian Gonzalez, Albert Pujols, baseball, best hitters, Carlos Pena, home run hitters, Mark Teixeira, mlb, Raul Ibanez
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