Baseball Reference Blog
Top 5 Leaders in Home Runs for the San Diego Padres
Posted by Darren Baker on January 31, 2025
One of the easiest jobs in the world is being a meteorologist in San Diego. Today it’s 70 degrees and sunny … tomorrow it’s 70 degrees and sunny … the following day it will be 70 degrees and sunny. In that ideal climate is where the San Diego Padres play. First the Fathers inhabited Jack Murphy Stadium from 1969 to 2003, and they have been at beautiful Petco Park since 2004. It took them 14 years just to have a .500 season, and they have no World Series titles. However, San Diego has won two National League pennants (1984 & 1998), and they have been relevant contenders in the NL for the last few years. It’s not easy being in a division with the mighty Dodgers and the pesky Giants. The Padres have had some legendary players over the last 50+ years, more than just franchise-treasure Tony Gwynn. Now it’s time to visit maybe the most picturesque place in America and reel off the all-time leaders in home runs for the San Diego Padres.



Dave Winfield
Position: Rightfielder
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-6, 220lb (198cm, 99kg)
Born:
October 3, 1951
Draft: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 40th round of the 1969 MLB June Amateur Draft from St. Paul Central HS (St. Paul, MN) and the San Diego Padres in the 1st round (4th) of the 1973 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN).
High School: St. Paul Central HS (St. Paul, MN)
School: University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)
Debut:
June 19, 1973
(Age 21-259d,
13,366th in major league history)
vs. HOU 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
October 1, 1995
(Age 43-363d)
vs. KCR 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 2001.
(Voted by BBWAA on 435/515 ballots)
View Dave Winfield’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1973 season
Agents: Randy Grossman • Previously: Jeff Klein, Al Frohman
National Team: us USA (College)
Full Name: David Mark Winfield
Nicknames: Winny
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
64.2
11003
3110
465
.283
1669
1833
223
.353
.475
.827
130
Dave Winfield was one of the most versatile athletes ever. He was remarkably drafted in three sports: MLB, NFL, and NBA. Luckily for San Diego, Winfield chose baseball and became one of the best Padres of all time. This 6 ‘6, 220-pound specimen blasted 154 home runs for the Padres (5th in team history). People often forget that this Hall of Famer played his first eight years in San Diego. He had five seasons of 20+ homers in Southern California, including probably his best power season of his career in 1979. That year Winny had 34 home runs, an NL-best 118 RBIs, a .953 OPS, an NL-best 166 OPS+, and an NL-best 333 total bases. His league-best 8.3 WAR and Gold Glove in right field helped Dave finish 3rd in the MVP race. After 1980, this multi-sport athlete left San Diego and signed a big deal with the Yankees and continued building his Hall of Fame resume. By the time Winfield retired after the 1995 season, he had 3,110 hits, 465 home runs, and 1,833 RBIs. Dave Winfield’s career that led to Cooperstown all started with being one of the best power hitters in San Diego Padres history.



Phil Nevin
Positions: Third Baseman, First Baseman and Outfielder
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-2, 180lb (188cm, 81kg)
Born:
January 19, 1971
Draft: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 3rd round of the 1989 MLB June Amateur Draft from El Dorado HS (Placentia, CA) and the Houston Astros in the 1st round (1st) of the 1992 MLB June Amateur Draft from California State University, Fullerton (Fullerton, CA).
High School: El Dorado HS (Placentia, CA)
School: California State University, Fullerton (Fullerton, CA)
Debut:
June 11, 1995
(Age 24-143d,
16,685th in major league history)
vs. CIN 5 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
September 29, 2006
(Age 35-253d)
vs. CHW 2 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1995 season
Agents: Barry Axelrod • Previously: Michael Watkins
National Team: us USA (College)
Full Name: Phillip Joseph Nevin
Nicknames: Nev
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Father of Tyler Nevin
Career
15.9
4188
1131
208
.270
584
743
18
.343
.472
.814
114
Being chosen as the first overall pick of the draft carries with it heavy expectations. Phil Nevin was the top pick in the 1992 draft, and he didn’t taste real success until he was with his fourth organization. Nevin then bombed 156 home runs for the San Diego Padres and sits 4th on their all-time home-run list. In 1999, at the ripe-old age of 28, Phil hit 24 homers for the Padres. Then he piggybacked that with 31 long balls in 2000 and topped out with 41 in 2001. After injury-riddled years in ‘02 and ‘03, this corner infielder and outfielder came back to hit 26 home runs in ‘04. The Fathers only finished above .500 once in Nev’s time there, but that didn’t stop him from accruing high ranks in the team’s all-time stats: 3rd in RBIs (573), 5th in slugging % (.503), 6th in OPS (.862), and 6th in total bases (1,474). Phil Nevin may have never achieved the high ceiling attached to his draft status, but he is one of the all-time leaders in home runs for the San Diego Padres.




Adrián González
Position: First Baseman
Bats: Left • Throws: Left
6-2, 215lb (188cm, 97kg)
Born:
May 8, 1982
Draft: Drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 1st round (1st) of the 2000 MLB June Amateur Draft from Eastlake HS (Chula Vista, CA).
High School: Eastlake HS (Chula Vista, CA)
Debut:
April 18, 2004
(Age 21-346d,
18,419th in major league history)
vs. SEA 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
June 10, 2018
(Age 36-033d)
vs. NYY 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 2005 season
Agents: John Boggs & Associates
Full Name: Adrián Sabin González
Nicknames: El Titan
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
Relatives: Brother of Edgar Gonzalez
Career
43.5
7139
2050
317
.287
997
1202
6
.358
.485
.843
129
Like the previous guy on this list, Adrian Gonzalez was the top overall pick in the draft who bounced around multiple organizations before finding his footing in San Diego. And just like that guy, Adrian Gonzalez became one of the top home-run hitters in San Diego Padres history with 161. In five years with the Padres (‘06-’10), this lefty first baseman let his power show with hefty homer totals … 24, 30, 36, 40, and 31. That period coincided with four top-20 or better NL MVP finishes, three All-Star selections, and two Gold Gloves. El Titan became one of MLB’s best first baseman during that run. Maybe the most impressive factor in his Padres tenure was his durability: all five years in San Diego Adrian played 156+ games. Gonzalez was also a major catalyst in helping the Padres win the NL West in 2006. This easy-swinging bat also resides in the team top five for total bases (1,529), WAR (20.4), slugging % (.514), OPS (.888), and RBIs (501). Adrian Gonzalez was acquired as an after-thought in a trade and ended up 3rd on all time in home runs for the San Diego Padres.



Nate Colbert
Positions: First Baseman and Leftfielder
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-2, 205lb (188cm, 92kg)
Born: April 9, 1946 in St. Louis, MO us
Died:
January 5, 2023
High School: Charles H. Sumner HS (St. Louis, MO)
Debut:
April 14, 1966
(Age 20-005d,
12,452nd in major league history)
vs. LAD 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
October 1, 1976
(Age 30-175d)
vs. CAL 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1969 season
Full Name: Nathan Colbert
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
14.4
3422
833
173
.243
481
520
52
.322
.451
.772
119
If you’ve been supporting the San Diego Padres from the very beginning, then you know Nate Colbert. This man is 2nd all time in home runs for the Padres (163). From 1969 to 1974, the Pads lost 95+ games every year and lost 100+ four times in that stretch. But Colbert did his best to help power the team with five seasons of 20+ homers. He topped out with 38 home runs in both ‘70 and ‘72. In ‘72, Nate actually finished 8th in National League MVP voting with 38 dingers, 111 RBIs, 27 doubles, 87 runs, and a .841 OPS. That’s not easy to do … especially for a 95-loss squad. The San Diego Padres struggled for several seasons to start their MLB existence, but Nate Colbert, one of the all-time leaders in home runs for the Padres, was a bright spot during that rough beginning.



Manny Machado
Positions: Third Baseman and Shortstop
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-3, 218lb (190cm, 98kg)
Team: San Diego Padres (majors)
Born:
July 6, 1992
Draft: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st round (3rd) of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft from Brito Miami Private School (Miami, FL).
High School: Brito Miami Private School (Miami, FL)
Debut:
August 9, 2012
(Age 20-034d,
20,272nd in major league history)
vs. KCR 4 AB, 2 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 2012 season
2025 Contract Status: Signed thru 2033, 11 yrs/$350M (23-33)
Service Time (01/2025): 12.056 • Free Agent: 2034
Agents: MVP Sports Group
National Team: us USA (18U)
Full Name: Manuel Arturo Machado
Nicknames: Hakuna Machado, Baby Face Assassin, El Ministro de Defensa or Mr. Miami
Instagram: @machados13
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
Relatives: Brother-In-Law of Yonder Alonso
2024
Career
3.1
57.8
593
6809
163
1900
29
342
.275
.279
77
991
105
1049
11
99
.325
.338
.472
.488
.797
.826
120
124
Manny Machado is already the all-time leader in home runs for the San Diego Padres with 167. He is still fairly young with a lot of time left on his contract, so his home-run total with the Friars is likely to get much higher. Prior to the 2019 season, Machado signed one of the biggest free-agent deals ever with San Diego, and he has delivered for the Padres. Besides the pandemic-shortened season of 2020, this third baseman from South Florida has hit 28+ home runs five times for the fans at Petco Park. That goes along with two top-3 finishes in the NL MVP race, two All-Star selections, and two Silver Sluggers. If not for some of the greatest hot-corner defenders ever being in the National League with him, Manny certainly would have some Gold Gloves as well; he did win two in his Baltimore days. Most importantly, the Padres have made the playoffs three times since this man has arrived. Although San Diego hasn’t claimed a World Series title yet, #13 has blasted 7 postseason homers for the Pads (also the franchise record). His 342 career long balls are in the top five for active MLB players, so assuming his health and production stay steady, this Padre has a decent shot at the 500-home run club. The San Diego Padres made a huge investment in Manny Machado, and that investment has paid off because he is their all-time home-run king with plenty of good years left.
Greg Vaughn has the Padres home-run record for a season. He hit 50 home runs in 1998. As of the moment, he is the only Padre ever to hit 50 homers in a season.
Manny Machado is the Padres career home-run leader with 167.
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