Toronto Blue Jays' Marcus Semien sets MLB record for most homers by a second baseman

As a free agent this past offseason, shortstop Marcus Semien couldn't find employment at his natural position, so he signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays to play second base.
The move has worked out exceptionally well for everyone. In Wednesday night's 6-5 win over the New York Yankees, Semien hit his 44th home run of 2021 - setting a single-season MLB record for second basemen.
With the two-run blast in the first inning off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, Semien broke the record set by Davey Johnson of the Atlanta Braves in 1973. The first-inning homer also gave the Jays an early lead in a critical game between the AL wild-card contenders.
Rogers Hornsby (42 home runs in 1922) and Brian Dozier (42 in 2016) are the only other second basemen in big league history to reach the 40-homer mark.
Semien's previous career high in homers came in 2019, when he hit 33 for the Oakland A's and finished third in the AL MVP balloting. Although teammate Vladimir Guerrero and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels are considered this year's clear MVP favorites, Semien seems like a good bet to finish in the top five once again.