- David Ortiz leads all designated hitters in home runs.
- Frank Thomas is the only other DH with over 500 home runs.
- Ortiz won three World Series with the Red Sox.
The DH has only existed in the American League since 1973 and in the National League (on a permanent basis) since 2022. As a result, the list of the most home runs by a designated hitter exclusively features hitters from the last 50 years or so.
While some of the sport’s best all-around hitters have primarily been DHs, a lack of defensive value means the MLB sports betting markets don’t often make them one of the favourites for MVP.
List of Most Home Runs By a Designated Hitter in MLB History
| Rank | Name | Home Runs | Team(s) |
| 1 | David Ortiz | 541 | Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox |
| 2 | Frank Thomas | 521 | Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics |
| 3 | Nelson Cruz | 464 | Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres |
| 4 | Jose Canseco | 462 | Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox |
| 5 | Edwin Encarnacion | 424 | Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox |
| 6 | Harold Baines | 384 | Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland |
| 7 | Chili Davis | 350 | San Francisco Giants, California Angels, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees |
| 8 | Don Baylor | 338 | Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, California Angels, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins |
| 9 | J.D. Martinez | 331 | Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets |
| 10 | Edgar Martinez | 309 | Seattle Mariners |
| 11 | Kyle Schwarber | 308 | Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies |
| 12 | Marcell Ozuna | 286 | Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves |
| 13 | Brian Downing | 275 | Chicago White Sox, California Angels, Texas Rangers |
| 14 | Andre Thornton | 253 | Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, Cleveland |
| 15 | Shohei Ohtani | 252 | Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 16 | Victor Martinez | 246 | Cleveland, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers |
| 17 | Paul Molitor | 234 | Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins |
| 18 | Mike Sweeney | 215 | Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies |
| T-19 | Travis Hafner | 213 | Texas Rangers, Cleveland, New York Yankees |
| T-19 | Kendrys Morales | 213 | Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees |
Which Designated Hitter Has the Most Home Runs in MLB History?
David Ortiz holds the record for the most home runs by a designated hitter with 541. Ortiz and Frank Thomas are the only two primary DHs to have hit over 500 career home runs.
A 10-time All-Star, Ortiz was integral during a period when baseball odds consistently priced the Boston Red Sox as a serious World Series contender. Big Papi won three titles during his Hall of Fame career and picked up ALCS MVP in 2004 and World Series MVP nine years later.
Along with his 541 home runs in the regular season, Ortiz also hit 17 big flies in the playoffs.
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