Finally healthy and swinging a hot bat, New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is closing in on 350 career home runs heading into a weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 6’3″ slugger hit No. 343 in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Angels, with a go-ahead blast in the seventh inning propelling him past Ron Santo on the all-time home run list, placing Teixeira in sole possession of the No. 92 spot, per ESPN Stats & Info.
The homer proved to be a milestone in and of itself, as it was his 80th home run at the new Yankee Stadium, the most by any hitter since the ballpark opened in 2009. Second baseman Robinson Cano, now of the Seattle Mariners, previously held the record with 79 home runs at The House that Jeter Built.
Teixeira added another long ball in the second inning of Tuesday’s game against the Mariners, giving him three on the season and 344 for his career. As he continues to rise up the all-time ranks, the switch-hitter is just six home runs shy of becoming the 91st member of the 350-homer club.
The 34-year-old Teixeira remains under contract with the Yankees through the 2016 season, which should give him plenty of opportunities to pad his totals in the new, hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. For his career, Teixeira has averaged 37 home runs per 162 games, and he was known for his durability until 2012.
500 homers might be pushing it, but Big Tex should at least make a run at 450, assuming he can put the injury woes of the past two years behind him.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com