Cleveland Indians: Top 5 home run hitters in franchise history

The Cleveland Indians have a long history of powerful hitters passing through town who have put up some great home run totals throughout the years.

Cleveland Indians fans have seen some great power hitters throughout the years, ranging from those mashing home runs at Progressive Field to those who hit some into the stands at League Park.

Fans have seen both current and future Hall of Famers hit home runs as members of the Indians, but some of the best home run hitters in franchise history had their best years as members of the Indians.

With Jim Thome’s likely Hall of Fame induction upcoming, I wanted to take a look at the five players who hit the most home runs as members of the Indians. This does not account for their career totals, but rather just how many they hit while donning an Indians uniform.

This list is interesting because the group spans decades, and some fans may be surprised to see who is actually among the top five. Sorry Pronk fans, Travis Hafner didn’t make the list. He currently ranks eighth with 200 home runs as an Indian, which may cause fans to wonder how many he could have had if he stayed healthy and lived up to his potential.

Let’s now take a look at the top five home run hitters in franchise history, starting with a player who spent most of his career in Cleveland.

4. Earl Averill

The next player on the list, Earl Averill, is our first and only Hall of Famer on the list, although that could change if/when Thome is selected for induction.

Averill played in Cleveland from 1929-1939, hitting 226 home runs during that span. He was also selected to six All-Star Games, and is also in the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.

Averill never had one season with a crazy home run total, but did hit 32 in both 1931 and 1932, along with 31 in 1934 and 28 in 1936.

The Hall of Famer is all over the franchise leaderboards, ranking third in hits (1,903), first in triples (121), sixth in OBP (.399), first in RBI (1,084), eighth in games played (1,509), and first in runs scored (1,154). He was an everyday player throughout his tenure in Cleveland before being traded during the 1939 season.

All of this power came from the center field position, which may lead fans to wonder if we will ever see another center fielder in Cleveland with these types of numbers on offense. It isn’t necessary to have a power hitter playing the position in 2018, but it would be a nice addition to the lineup.

3. Manny Ramirez

The final three members of the list all come from the same era of Indians baseball, beginning with Manny Ramirez.

Ramirez played in Cleveland from 1993-2000, finishing with 236 home runs. But that was only the start for him, as he finished his career with 555 home runs.

Manny became a different type of player once he left Cleveland, but he still put up some great numbers in the place where he started his career.

He was elected to four All-Star Games as a member of the Indians, and even finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1994.

His two best home run years came in 1998 and 1999, when he hit 45 and 44 home runs, respectively. He would never eclipse that mark of 45, although he did reach it once again in 2005 as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

Ramirez is the team’s all-time leader in slugging percentage (.592), ranks fourth in OBP (.407), and eighth in RBI (804). He is more remembered for his championship days with the Red Sox, but Indians fans will never forget Ramirez for the magic he provided during the championship chases in the 90s.

He grew up in front of the city, and did some amazing things in the process.

2. Albert Belle

Albert Belle made a name for himself in Cleveland, both in a good and a bad way.

Belle finished his Indians career with 242 home runs, including a career year in 1995 when he mashed 50 home runs.

Belle played in Cleveland from 1989-1996, but his career in town was cut short due to money, politics, and all the things that go into being a professional athlete.

Some fans may not like Belle to this day, but it has been long enough to simply appreciate what he did while he was on the team.

His .580 slugging percentage is second in team history behind only Manny Ramirez, and he put up all his great offensive numbers in only 3,441 at-bats, which is 40th in team history.

Belle gave the Indians some swagger after being in the basement of baseball for decades, helping to open an entire new era in franchise history. The team never won a title with him, but he sure did help in the pursuit of one.

The slugger is a member of the team’s own Hall of Fame, but he missed his induction ceremony. Perhaps relations between Belle and the Indians will get better as time goes on, and he can get a proper ceremony for the time he spent in Cleveland.

1. Jim Thome

As we await Jim Thome’s induction into the Hall of Fame, let’s go over the credentials he carries as a member of the Indians.

Thome is the leader by far with 337 home runs during his time in Cleveland, and is also the team leader in walks with 1,008. The next closest in terms of walks is Tris Speaker, with 857.

Thome is already a member of the team’s Hall of Fame, and was one of the faces of the franchise during his first stint in Cleveland from 1991-2002. His brief return in 2011 was a nice way to cap off a great career as a member of the Indians.

Fans were understandably upset when Thome left the team after the 2002 season, but no one should still be upset. The Indians were headed for a rebuild, and Thome had already put up record numbers during a span of time that some would consider a great career.

It will be great to see Thome in Cooperstown this summer, which will also give the Indians a Hall of Famer for the first time in decades. Some players in the Hall of Fame have recently passed through Cleveland, but Thome’s greatest days came during his time here.

Next: Top 10 wins from 2017

Home runs aren’t the telling sign of the greatest players in team history, but this list features some of the best to ever wear an Indians uniform. Hopefully we can look back a few decades from now and see some new names on a list such as this one.