In honor of Father’s Day, World Baseball Network wanted to highlight the incredible accomplishments of fathers and sons in Major League Baseball over the years. Here are the top 10 international father-and-son duos in MLB history.
The top spot on the list goes to the most prolific offensive paternal and filial duo of the 21st century. Vladimir Guerrero Sr. made his MLB debut for the Montreal Expos in 1996 and went on to play 16 years in the majors with the Expos, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles. A nine-time All-Star and 2004 MVP with the Angels, Guerrero Sr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. A year later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays. Born in Montreal in 1999, Guerrero Jr. has been a similar threat at the plate as his father was. The younger Guerrero has 168 career home runs, four All-Star selections, and a career 136 OPS+ during his seven years playing the corner infield positions with the Blue Jays. With Guerrero Sr. hailing from Nizao, Dominican Republic, and Guerrero Jr. being born in Canada, this international father-and-son duo has multi-continental reach.
In second place on this list is the only internationally born father-and-son duo where the father actually managed his son at the big-league level. Born in Haina, Dominican Republic, Felipe Alou had a highly respectable 17-year MLB career with the San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, and Montreal Expos, where he was named to three All-Star teams. After his playing career, he was a coach and manager across parts of four different decades in MLB. Alou was hired as the manager for the Montreal Expos in 1992, the team his son Moisés was playing for just two years after making his MLB debut. Moisés was a six-time All-Star during his career and was managed by Felipe twice—first in Montreal in the early 1990s and then in San Francisco in the mid-2000s. Nine combined All-Star selections in 34 MLB seasons earn the Alous second place on the list.
The first trio on this list comes with the Alomar family. Sandy Alomar Sr. graduated from high school in his hometown of Salinas, Puerto Rico, in the early 1960s and made his MLB debut in 1964 with the Milwaukee Braves, where he was teammates with Felipe Alou. He spent 15 years as a middle infielder before transitioning to a long career as an MLB assistant coach. Ten years after his father played his last game, Sandy Alomar Jr. made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres before going on to have a 20-year MLB career as a catcher, primarily with the Cleveland Guardians. In the same year Sandy Alomar Jr. debuted, so did Roberto Alomar. Roberto played 17 years, became a 12-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Glove winner, and a Baseball Hall of Famer. With 19 combined All-Star appearances between the three Alomars, they create a one-of-a-kind baseball legacy.
Both born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, Fernando Tatis Sr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. have combined for 253 home runs and 798 RBIs in 17 combined MLB seasons. Although Tatis Jr. has not hit two grand slams in a single inning like his father, the young star has been named to multiple All-Star teams — something his father never did. Tatis Jr. is one of the top stars in MLB currently and a key player in the early 2025 NL MVP picture. At only 26, Tatis Jr. already has almost four times his father’s career WAR and is shaping up to carry on his father’s legacy as one of baseball’s brightest young stars.
A Hall of Famer, Tony Pérez was a key contributor on the “Big Red Machine” Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s and a 23-year MLB veteran. The seven-time All-Star taught his youngest son how to play the corner infield like he did. Eduardo Pérez made his MLB debut seven years after his father retired, in 1993. While Eduardo was a respectable contributor over parts of 13 years in MLB and a season for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball, he didn’t reach the same accolades as his father. However, he did take after his dad in terms of managerial career. Tony Pérez managed parts of two MLB seasons with the Reds and Miami Marlins, while Eduardo had great success managing multiple teams in Puerto Rico. Eduardo Pérez is now the color commentator for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball and one of the most respected analysts in the game.
The second trio on this list is perhaps a little paternal-heavy but contains the variety and production to earn a spot. Tony Peña Sr., from Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, enjoyed an 18-year MLB career, during which he was a five-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner as a catcher. He then enjoyed a successful coaching career, including the 2003 AL Manager of the Year with the Kansas City Royals, longtime first-base coach for the New York Yankees, and a decorated international managerial career leading Águilas Cibaeñas to multiple championships. Tony Peña Jr. pitched in MLB for six seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox in the late 2000s and maintained a career 103 ERA+ as an above-league-average reliever, while Francisco Peña spent five years as a catcher for the Royals, Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinals in the late 2010s.
Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez is one of the greatest catchers baseball has ever seen, and his son, Dereck, was a solid pitcher during his five years in the MLB. A Hall of Famer, Iván Rodríguez caught 21 seasons in the majors and holds many defensive records, in addition to winning the AL MVP in 1999 with the Texas Rangers. Dereck Rodríguez burst on the scene with the Giants in 2018 when he went 6-4 in 21 games (19 starts) with a 2.81 ERA. Dereck now pitches with the Charros de Jalisco of Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, where he is a key piece in their starting rotation.
A pair of exciting players from the Dominican Republic, the Mondesís earn the No. 8 spot on the list. Raúl Mondesí played 13 years in MLB in the 1990s and 2000s, while Adalberto had seven years of service in the 2010s and 2020s. Raúl won Rookie of the Year in 1994 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was named an All-Star and a Gold Glove outfielder in 1995, and had a career year in 1997 with 5.7 wins above replacement, finishing 15th in NL MVP voting and winning his second Gold Glove. Adalberto Mondesí did something his father could not: he made his debut in the 2015 postseason on the way to winning the World Series with the Royals. The younger Mondesí became a speed threat, tying for the MLB lead in triples in 2019 and leading MLB in stolen bases during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Rubén Amaro Sr. was born Jan. 6, 1936, in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. He made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1958 and enjoyed an 11-year career as an infielder with the Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and California Angels. He won a Gold Glove and finished 21st in MVP voting for the Phillies in 1964. Rubén Amaro Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps with an eight-year MLB career in the 1990s with the Angels, Phillies, and Cleveland Guardians. Amaro Jr. joined the Phillies’ front office immediately after retiring in 1998 and was promoted to general manager in 2009 after helping put together the team that won the World Series in 2008. He now appears as an analyst on Phillies radio and television broadcasts.
To round out the list is a pair of middle infielders: Gerónimo and Jeremy Peña. Gerónimo played seven seasons as a second baseman with the Cardinals and Indians from 1990 to 1996. He was an above-average hitter and a productive player during his time in St. Louis. Twenty-six years after his father’s final season, Jeremy Peña made his debut with the Houston Astros. He had five WAR in his rookie season, won the AL Gold Glove at shortstop, and became the youngest player ever to win the World Series MVP award as the Astros beat the Phillies in six games. Now in his fourth season, Peña is enjoying a career year with a .333/.386/.498 slash line.
Happy Father’s Day from the World Baseball Network!
