Eugenio Suarez, fresh off passing his U.S. citizenship test, tied an MLB legend on the Cincinnati Reds‘ all-time home run list. Suarez crushed a Shane Drohan fastball to center field to put the Reds up 6-4 on the Milwaukee Brewers.
The blast marked his 21st homer of the year and 210th as a Red. It also tied Ken Griffey Jr. for ninth on the franchise’s home run list, according to The Athletic‘s C. Trent Rosecrans.
Suarez has been one of the more consistent power hitters in the league. He’s homered at least 20 times in 10 of the last 11 seasons. The one exception was the COVID-shortened 2020 season, where he homered 15 times in 57 games.
Eugenio Suarez Ties Ken Griffey Jr. on Reds All-Time Home Run List
It was perhaps fitting that Eugenio Suarez tied Ken Griffey Jr. after a stint with the Seattle Mariners. Griffey played more than a decade in Seattle before playing eight seasons (2000-2007) in Cincinnati.
The 2016 Hall of Famer played 945 games with the Reds following a blockbuster deal ahead of the 2000 season. He put up a .270/.362/.538 slash with 210 home runs and a 120 OPS+. Injuries prevented Griffey from having a larger impact in Cincinnati.
The Reds traded the third baseman, along with outfielder Jesse Winker, to the Mariners following the 2021 season in exchange for Brandon Williamson, Jake Fraley, Connor Phillips, and Justin Dunn. Only Williamson and Phillips remain in the organization.
Suarez spent parts of three of the next four seasons in Seattle before returning to Cincinnati this season. The rest of his time away from the Reds was spent with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he was a key power bat in the middle of their lineup.
Eugenio Suarez’s 2026 Season With Reds
Eugenio Suarez is in his eighth season with the Reds. After spending the 2015-2021 seasons in Cincinnati, the 35-year-old returned on a one-year free-agent deal for this season. He was brought in as a strong clubhouse presence to anchor a very young Reds infield.
He’s currently hitting .209 with 21 home runs and a .726 OPS. His 96 wRC+ estimates that his offense is about 4% less than what a league-average hitter would provide.
With Cincinnati, he carries a career .248/.332/.469 slash with 210 home runs. His next blast will pass Griffey for sole possession of ninth place. The next player is Jay Bruce at 233, but that’s not a realistic goal for Suarez this season.
To climb up the franchise’s home run list, he’ll have to re-sign with the club. With a lot of moving parts on the infield, there might not be room to retain the veteran after the season.
Eugenio Suarez Ties MLB Legend on Reds Home Run List During Brewers Game