It seems almost inevitable that Elly De La Cruz will lead the Cincinnati Reds in home runs this season. After crushing 25 homers last year, he’s widely expected to replicate that power in 2025. Even MLB.com recently projected De La Cruz to once again be the Reds’ top home run hitter.
While De La Cruz is the obvious pick, Jeimer Candelario shouldn’t be overlooked. Determined to find more consistency this season, Candelario put up an impressive 20 home runs in just 112 games last year—all while battling through injury.
As he inches closer to securing the starting third base job, he could be a dark-horse candidate to lead Cincinnati in long balls in 2025.
Jeimer Candelario could be sneaky pick to lead the Reds in HRs
Jeimer Candelario, traditionally known for his doubles power, has found a way to put together back-to-back 20-plus home run seasons, all while battling injuries in 2024, including one that required surgery.
Before heading to the injured list last season, he launched two homers in his final six games to finish with 20. If he’d had another month of play, he might have added three to five more home runs to his total.
Candelario’s power was particularly evident in June when he blasted eight home runs, including two multi-homer games. If he can sustain that kind of power production throughout 2025, he could give Elly De La Cruz a real run for his money in the home run race.
So far this spring, Candelario’s off to a solid start, and Reds fans are hoping for a level of consistency that justifies his sizable contract.
Could he end up leading the Reds in home runs? It’s still uncertain, as he’ll face stiff competition from De La Cruz, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain, and Tyler Stephenson—all of whom will be gunning for the team’s home run crown in 2025.
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