In the midst of perhaps the best offensive season of his career, George Springer has added a Toronto Blue Jays franchise record to his resume.
Springer took sole possession of the Blue Jays’ leadoff home run record with his solo shot against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night. The 35-year-old wasted no time getting Toronto on the board with the team looking to bounce back at Great American Ballpark, launching a third-pitch sweeper from Scott Barlow 388 feet over the left-field wall.
It was the 23rd leadoff blast of Springer’s Blue Jays tenure and the 61st of his career, moving him past Devon White, who hit 22 over four seasons in Toronto.
Springer also moved 20 back of Hall of Famer Ricky Henderson on the all-time list with the homer, strengthening his grip on the No. 2 spot. The closest active player to Springer is Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Mookie Betts, who has 52 for his career.
Springer added a second home run, a two-run shot, in the fourth inning to put Toronto up 10-6.
Since signing with the Blue Jays ahead of the 2021 season, Springer has spent most of his time batting leadoff. However, following a difficult 2024 campaign, the former World Series MVP opened the 2025 season batting lower in the order.
As the summer wore on, Springer earned his way back atop the Blue Jays lineup and hasn’t looked back since regaining the position on Aug. 16. After Tuesday’s homer, the 12-year veteran is now slashing .302/.393/.542 with 25 homers and 69 RBIs, totals that rank among MLB’s best hitters.
