Lincoln Zdunich
Major League Baseball has produced some of the most iconic father-son duos in sports history. From Bobby and Barry Bonds to Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr., MLB has had a storied history of sons walking in their father’s footsteps. Today is Father’s Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by taking a look at the current stars who have their dads to thank for their careers and so much more. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Over 250 father-son duos have graced MLB’s halls, it would be impossible to write about them all here. Below is a list of seven active players from that list who have followed the path their fathers took.
Historic Father-Son Duos
Bo Bichette, New York Mets
The son of four-time All-Star Dante Bichette, Bo has had an impressive career since he debuted in 2019 with the Toronto Blue Jays. The infielder has shown elite skill at the plate, with 980 career hits while accumulating 20.8 WAR. The younger Bichette has already cemented himself as one of the most exciting players to watch after helping lead Toronto to their first World Series since 1993 last season. Since signing with the Mets, he hasn’t been quite as good. That said, Bichette has still shown flashes of the elite ability he was known for.
Bo Bichette has already outshone his father. That said, Dante had a fantastic career (albeit not as illustrious as others). Across 14 seasons, Bichette accumulated 1,906 hits, 274 home runs and a .299 career batting average. His career OPS+ of 107 is just seven percent better than league average. The Bichettes have six All-Star selections between them, close to 3,000 career hits and almost 400 homers. They’re certainly not the most well-known duo on this list, but they’ve combined for some fantastic stats in their careers.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
The first of the junior/senior duos on this list, Guerrero Jr. has become one of the most exciting sluggers in the game. He’s the face of the Blue Jays’ franchise and likely will be for years now that he’s signed to the club through 2039. Guerrero led the Jays to the World Series alongside Bichette last year. He continues to be the cornerstone of a franchise that has managed to radically turn things around in the last few years.
The senior Guerrero played over 2,000 games at the major-league level between four different clubs. The Hall-of-Famer is one of the most incredible sluggers in baseball history, with 2,590 career hits, 449 home runs and 1,496 RBIs. The younger Guerrero is on pace to finish his career with 3,551 hits, 603 homers and 1,949 RBIs by the time his 14-year extension with Toronto finishes. Those projections are based on his current pacing which will likely slow down, but he should still end his career ahead of his father in most statistics.
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
Tatis Jr. continues to be one of the most tantalizingly talented players in MLB. His power-speed combination is elite, and his potential appears almost limitless. In addition, Tatis is one of the league’s premier defensive corner outfielders. He’s won two platinum gloves and regularly makes spectacular plays look commonplace in right field at Petco Park. Tatis has already dwarfed his father in almost every way, and he still has nine seasons remaining on his 14-year contract extension with the Padres.
The elder Tatis is really only known for his landmark 1999 season. That year, he slugged 34 homers, including the infamous two grand slams in a single inning. It remains the only time in MLB history that the same player has hit multiple grand slams in one inning. He set an MLB record that night with eight RBIs in a single frame. Tatis Jr. has had his fair share of power surges throughout his short career. In 2021, Tatis slugged a career-high 42 homers. That season is somewhat in question after his PED suspension in the following year, but Tatis remains one of the most electric stars in the game.
Dads Overshadowed By Their Sons…
Cody Bellinger, New York Yankees
Cody and Clay Bellinger have combined to win three World Series championships, one MVP award, a Gold Glove award, two Silver Sluggers, over 1,000 hits and 200 home runs. That said, the older Bellinger only contributes two of the three World Series championships to that storied list. That’s largely due to Clay being a member of championship-winning Yankees teams. He played in just 183 games and recorded only 60 hits in his career.
Cody Bellinger has had one of the most interesting careers in MLB. He won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2017 and the NL MVP in 2019 before massively struggling. Bellinger had a resurgent season with the Yankees in 2025, establishing himself yet again as a premier outfielder. He earned a contract with New York, where he’ll round out the outfield with superstar Aaron Judge for the next few years.
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
Bobby Witt Jr. has established himself as one baseball’s premier defenders. He’s electric at shortstop for Kansas City, contributing to one of baseball’s best defensive infields. Beyond that, Witt Jr. is a major threat at the plate, with 722 career hits and 105 home runs. He’s one of just 26 active players who have 100 homers and 100 stolen bases.
Witt’s father pitched 430 games between seven different MLB franchises. Across 2,465 innings pitched, Witt owned a modest 4.83 ERA and 142 wins. His 1,955 strikeout number is more reputable alongside his World Series championship with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. He worked out of the bullpen in his final ML season and pitched in just 14 games for the Dbacks. That was enough for the veteran reliever to earn his first and only World Series ring.
…And Sons Overshadowed By Their Dads
Justin Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies
The four-time All-Star Carl Crawford was one of the most elite defensive outfielders of his day. He posted 39.2 WAR in his career with 1,931 hits and 136 homers through 15 seasons. Crawford owns a career .290/.330/.435 slash line and a .765 OPS between his time with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Though he had an above-average bat, he was always more known for his elite speed and glove.
Carl’s son, Justin, just made his MLB debut this season with Philadelphia. Through 70 games with the club, the younger Crawford has posted a subpar .244/.300/.338 slash line. He’s been solid for the Phils, but hasn’t particularly stood out. Like his father, his outfield defense has been much more noteworthy than his bat. Crawford had a tough start to the year, but he’s batted .308 with a .700 OPS in his last 15 games.
Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles
Despite Matt Holliday’s accolades, he’s probably more well known for never touching home plate in one of the most controversial safe calls in MLB history. The Colorado Rockies faced the Padres in Game 163 and won, 9-8, in the bottom of the 13th inning at Coors Field when Holliday tagged up from third base on a sacrifice fly. He sprinted home and slid headfirst into the Padres catcher and was called safe. With replay unavailable then, it wasn’t a reviewable call and so the safe call stood despite Holliday never touching the plate.
That being said, Holliday has had an illustrious career. With over 2,000 hits, 300 homers and 1,200 RBIs, Holliday left big shoes to fill for his sons, Jackson and Ethan. The former has spent three seasons at the big-league level with Baltimore. He’s been serviceable as an infielder but uninspiring with the O’s, with a career .226/.298/.362 slash line and a .660 OPS.
