With a solo home run in the third inning that catapulted the ball into left-center field in the Orioles bullpen, Anthony Santander hit his 36th home run of the season and broke the team record for most home runs by a switch hitter in a single season.

Santander ranks third in MLB in home runs this season, behind New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge with 42 and Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani with 37.

The team record was previously set by Ken Singleton in 1979, who was an All-Star that season and finished second in the MVP voting.

Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, another great Baltimore switch-hitter, came close to breaking Singleton’s record in 1983, the last time the Orioles won the World Series, when he set a new career high with 33 home runs.

The MLB record for most home runs in a single season by a switch hitter is 54 by Mickey Mantle in 1961. With 42 games left, Santander is on pace to reach 49.

While Santander is unlikely to break the league record, his scorching summer – 26 of his hits have come since the beginning of June – has helped the Orioles remain at the top of the American League East.

The 29-year-old’s most successful season coincides with his final year as team manager with Baltimore. Originally a Rule 5 draft pick in 2016, Santander made his major league debut a year later and became a fixture in the lineup midway through the 2019 season.

Santander’s 36 home runs are already a career high, and he’s posting his best on-base-plus-slugging percentage since the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

The right fielder told reporters last week that he is not thinking about a contract extension or his upcoming free agent appearance at the moment. He is focused on winning.