Mud Hens' Hessman hits 431st Minors homer
Veteran player is one away from tying Minor League record
Minor League baseball could see a new home run king crowned this week.
Mike Hessman hit career homer No. 431 on Wednesday, and is now one away from tying the all-time mark set by Buzz Arlett. Hessman, an infielder with Triple-A Toledo, already holds the International League home run record with 286.
Playing in his 20th season as a professional, Hessman has hit at least 23 home runs in eight of the last 10 years. His career high for a single season is 35, set in 2012 with Triple-A Oklahoma City of the Pacific Coast League.
Hessman hit 14 homers over 109 games in the Majors during stints with the Braves, Tigers and Mets. He was drafted by Atlanta in the 15th round of the 1996 Draft.
Hessman took former big leaguer Dustin McGowan deep Wednesday for his 14th homer of the year. McGowan pitched seven seasons for the Blue Jays and began the 2015 season with the Phillies.
It's worth noting that four Minor League players from the Mexican League have hit more homers than Arlett, including Hector Espino, who set the record with 484 in 1977.
Toledo is in action each day leading up to a scheduled off-day on July 30, so Hessman will have several opportunities to tie and possibly break the record by the end of the month.