Two of the more recognizable names in recent baseball history are Ken Griffey Jr. and Cal Ripken Jr.  Griffey’s father, Ken Griffey, played in the majors for 19 seasons, while Ripken’s father, Cal Ripken, was a long-time major and minor-league coach and manager for the Baltimore Orioles organization. The sons were among the first major leaguers to popularize wearing “Jr.” as part of their last names printed on the backs of their jerseys.

Perhaps Griffey and Ripken wanted to differentiate themselves from their fathers who were still active in the game when they first debuted in the majors. Ripken Jr. played for the Orioles when his father was the manager in 1987. Griffey Jr. and his father made history by becoming the first father-son duo to play in the same game together in 1990. But it was likely they also wanted baseball fans to know they were the sons of prominent baseball figures.

In today’s game, there are over a dozen major leaguers who wear “Jr.” as part of their name on their jersey. Some of them, like their dads, are good ballplayers. Several of the players’ fathers played collegiately. In any case, it is indicative there is a growing number of sons following in their baseball footsteps.

Here is a rundown of the current “juniors” in the majors.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is currently in his seventh season with the Toronto Blue Jays. His father was a Hall of Famer, having played from 1996 to 2011. Young Guerrero may be on his way to Cooperstown, too, with four All-Star seasons, a Gold Glove and two Silver Slugger Awards already. He finished second in the AL MVP voting in 2021. He recently signed the largest (non-free agent) contract extension in baseball history.

Bobby Witt Jr. is currently in his fourth major-league season with the Kansas City Royals. The first overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft has not disappointed his team. The All-Star shortstop was the runner-up to Aaron Judge in 2024 in the AL MVP voting. Witt’s father was a major-league pitcher from 1986 to 2001.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is in his sixth season with the San Diego Padres. He has been voted among the Top 4 for the MVP Award twice and has a Gold Glove and two Silver Sluggers to his credit. He started out as a shortstop and but moved to the outfield after missing the 2022 season to an injury and PED violation. His father was an 11-year major-leaguer during 1997 and 2010.

Ronald Acuna Jr.’s father spent eight seasons in the minors from 1999 to 2006 but never reached the majors. Ronald Jr. is in his eighth season with the Atlanta Braves. The outfielder is the 2018 National Rookie of the Year, a four-time All-Star, and the 2023 MVP Award winner. He has yet to play in 2025, due to a torn ACL in his left knee incurred in May last season. Ronald’s 23-year-old brother Luisangel currently plays for the New York Mets.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is an outfielder currently in his eighth major-league season, the last three with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Formerly a teammate of Guerrero Jr. at Toronto, Gurriel Jr. was a NL All-Star in 2023. His father was a star player in Cuba. His older brother Gurriel is in his 10th major-league season, currently with the Padres.

Lance McCullers Jr. is starting his eighth major-league season with the Houston Astros, after missing the last two seasons due to arm injuries. He was an All-Star in 2017 and finished seventh in the Cy Young Award voting in 2021. His father was a major-league pitcher for seven seasons during 1985 and 1992.

Luis Garcia Jr. is in his sixth season with the Washington Nationals. The infielder had his best season in 2024, when he hit 18 home runs and drove in 70. His father appeared in only eight major-league games in 1999 with the Detroit Tigers.

Mark Leiter Jr. has pitched for four teams in his six major-league seasons. He is currently a reliever for the New York Yankees. His father was a major league pitcher for eleven seasons during 1990 and 2001. His uncle Al Leiter pitched for 19 years, while his cousin Jack currently pitches for the Texas Rangers.

The next group of current major-league players wear “Jr.” or “II” on their jerseys, but their fathers never played professionally. They include Michael Harris II (Braves), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Yankees), Louis Robert Jr. (White Sox), Lamonte Wade Jr. (Giants), Nacho Alvarez Jr. (Braves), Carl Edwards Jr. (Padres), and DeShawn Keirsey Jr. (Twins).

In addition to Griffey and Ripken, you might recall other former big-league players whose jersey names displayed “Jr.” including Jackie Bradley Jr., Tim Raines Jr., Ruben Amaro Jr., Eric Young Jr., Pete Rose Jr., and Dwight Smith Jr.