The Dominican 500-Home-Run Club: Pujols, Sosa, Ramírez and Ortiz
Only six Latin American-born players have hit 500 home runs. Four of them are Dominican, and three were born in Santo Domingo. Their numbers and their Hall of Fame stories.
Five hundred home runs is one of baseball’s great milestones. Only six players born in Latin America have reached it, and four of them are Dominican.
| Player | Born in | Home runs | Hits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Pujols | Santo Domingo | 703 | 3,384 |
| Sammy Sosa | San Pedro de Macorís | 609 | 2,408 |
| Manny Ramírez | Santo Domingo | 555 | 2,574 |
| David Ortiz | Santo Domingo | 541 | 2,472 |
The other two members of the Latin American 500 club are Cuba’s Rafael Palmeiro (569) and Venezuela’s Miguel Cabrera (511).
Three of the four Dominicans were born in the capital, Santo Domingo. Sosa came from San Pedro de Macorís.
Albert Pujols: 703
Pujols is the leader in almost everything. His 703 home runs, 3,384 hits and 2,218 RBI are all the most by any Latin American-born player. He won Rookie of the Year in 2001, the National League MVP in 2005, 2008 and 2009, and made 11 All-Star teams. He becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame on the 2028 ballot.
Sammy Sosa: 609
Sosa won the National League MVP in 1998 and finished with 609 home runs and 7 All-Star selections, the most home runs by any player from San Pedro de Macorís.
Manny Ramírez: 555
Ramírez hit 555 home runs with a .312 career average, made 12 All-Star teams and was the 2004 World Series MVP.
David Ortiz: 541
“Big Papi” hit 541 home runs, made 10 All-Star teams and was the 2013 World Series MVP. In 2022 he was elected to the Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame question
Of the four, only Ortiz is in Cooperstown so far. Sosa and Ramírez, both linked to performance-enhancing drugs, were never elected by the baseball writers. Sosa’s time on the writers’ ballot ended in 2022. Ramírez’s ended in 2026, when he received 38.8% of the vote, well short of the 75% needed. Pujols’s first chance comes in 2028.
The 400 club runs deep
Below the 500 line, the Dominican power tradition keeps going. Nine Dominicans have hit at least 400 home runs, and 14 have hit at least 300. The five between 400 and 500:
- Adrián Beltré: 477 (Hall of Fame 2024)
- Nelson Cruz: 464
- Vladimir Guerrero: 449 (Hall of Fame 2018)
- Edwin Encarnación: 424
- Alfonso Soriano: 412
See the all-time Latino home run leaders →
Statistics through the 2025 season, from the SABR Lahman Baseball Database. Hall of Fame voting results from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.