Has Any Catcher Ever Hit 500 Home Runs?

Kind of. 

It really depends on how you define a catcher. 

For most of our articles here at Catchers Home - when we discuss records and statistics - we generally consider catchers to be an MLB player who appeared in 51% or more of their defensive games as a catcher. 

If we use this as a rule of thumb, then the answer is no - no catcher has ever hit 500 plus career home runs. 

The closest to reach this mark would be Mike Piazza with 427 home runs.

But what if we examined all members of the 500 home run club more closely. 

Did any of those men ever play in the big leagues behind the plate?

Turns out, one did. 

The Great Jimmie Foxx - 500 Home Run Member and… Catcher?

Jimmie Foxx is the only member of the 500 career home run club who ever appeared in one or more big league games behind the plate. 

The three-time MVP collected 534 career home runs during a 20 year career that was spent with the Athletics, Red Sox, Cubs and Phillies. 

Foxx appeared in 108 big league games (830 innings) as a catcher, which is roughly 5% of his career total defensive games played. 

The season he played the most games behind the plate was in 1940, when he put on the catcher's gear for 42 games with the Boston Red Sox. 

Other than Jimmie Foxx, no members of baseball's vaunted 500 home run club ever played catcher in the MLB.

That's a Wrap!

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