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Nor did he have the Greek God build—or the "supplements" to get that frame—that popped through the television screen like Big Mac's. Non-baseball fans tuned in to see what Mark did on the diamond that summer, a national enthusiasm that ended with 70 home runs. It didn't matter where you threw the pitch—even if bounced—Vlad Guerrero would not only swing at it, but he would also launch it into the stands. He followed a solid 1997 season, where he finished sixth for the NL Rookie of the Year, with a streak of home run outputs that provided a brief glimpse into his unmatched talent. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. Sammy Sosa led the National League in home runs twice, with 49 and 50, but finished second four times with home run counts of 36, 66, 63, and 64.
In what can only be described as a fitting twist for this particular era, the sidekick of the show got the final curtain call. No one matched Sammy Sosa's home run displays from 1998 to 2001. He was a personality who people were drawn to, one that seemed to elevate the game of baseball, even outside the confines of Wrigley Field. "Del Got It!" We stay north of the border for the ninth spot on this list, a lefty who would regularly wow the crowds at the Rogers Centre (then-SkyDome).
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Three of this year’s 40-homer hitters are at positions that haven’t historically been known for power. A wave of exciting young stars has burst onto the scene in recent years, several of whom are already putting their stamp on the history books. Among the top five home run hitters are two Dominicans , a Venezuelan , a Japanese player and a Black player born in the United States . It’s easy to blame the pandemic-shortened season for limiting their home run opportunities, but there’s no guarantee Guerrero, Perez or Ohtani would have hit 30 in a 162-game season last year. A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or has not played for a full season.
It was Prime Jim Thome between 1998 and 2001, with the left-handed slugger leading the Indians' power surge along with Manny Ramirez. Thome improved his home run total each season, culminating with 49 in 2001. The first player from the Angels franchise to wear the number twenty-five was Bob Perry.
Barry Bonds launched the most home runs in 2001, with 73 homers.
Ruth set the Major League Baseball single-season home run record four times, first at 29 , then 54 , 59 , and finally 60 . Ruth's 1920 and 1921 seasons are tied for the widest margin of victory for a home run champion as he topped the next highest total by 35 home runs in each season. The single season mark of 60 stood for 34 years until Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961 for which MLB assigned an asterisk until reversing themselves in 1991 citing Maris had accomplished his record in a longer season. Maris' mark was broken 37 years later by both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa during the 1998 home run record chase, with McGwire ultimately setting a new record of 70. Barry Bonds, who also has the most career home runs, then broke that mark, setting the current single season record of 73 in 2001.
In 1901, the American League was established and Hall of Fame second baseman Nap Lajoie led it with 14 home runs for the American League Philadelphia Athletics. Over the course of his 22-season career, Babe Ruth led the American League in home runs twelve times. Mike Schmidt and Ralph Kiner have the second and third most home run titles respectively, Schmidt with eight and Kiner with seven, all won in the National League. Kiner's seven consecutive titles from 1946 to 1952 are also the most consecutive home run titles by any player. There have been years in which multiple players reached the 60-homer plateau.
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He won the NL MVP in 1999 when he hit 45 home runs and continued that consistency in the next two seasons, hitting 35-plus dingers in each. Shawn Green's presence at the plate not might have resembled a herculean warrior, with sawdust dropping from the bat as he shifted his grip. He hit 40-plus homers twice during this stretch—once for Toronto Blue Jays and once for the LA Dodgers—and tallied 46 percent of his career long balls. The 6-foot-7 slugger worked through holes in his swing while earning playing time in Cleveland—not easy when Jim Thome is in the lineup, too—but in his first 100-plus game season, Sexson cracked 30 home runs. His biggest output happened in 2001, though, when he hit 45 dingers for Milwaukee. Then there's Ohtani, who is the first player to post a 40-homer season while also throwing 100-plus innings on the mound, just one of many unprecedented feats for the two-way superstar.
It's the first time that the first 5 players to reach 40 HR in a season were all born in different countries. Barry Bonds holds the Major League Baseball home run record with 762. The only other players to have hit 700 or more are Babe Ruth with 714 and Albert Pujols with 703. Alex Rodriguez , Willie Mays , Ken Griffey Jr. , Jim Thome , and Sammy Sosa are the only other players to have hit 600 or more. This is a list of the 300 Major League Baseball players who have hit the most home runs. Giambi sparked a new wave of baseball players—from the long hair to the tattoos to the linebacker frame, and the all-power approach that actually relied on a great eye at the dish.
Mark McGwire led the league in home runs 4 times including 52, 65, and record-breaking 70 home run seasons. His 58 home runs in 1997 led neither league due to a mid-season trade which split this total across 2 leagues. Guerrero and Tatis could make more history by the end of this season if they lead their respective league in home runs. While eight players have won a league home run crown before turning 23, it’s never happened in both leagues during the same year.
The three players with 45-plus home runs this year -- Guerrero, Perez and Ohtani -- not only never reached 40 homers in a single season before 2021, they never hit 30, either. Listed are all Major League Baseball players with 223 or more home runs hit during official regular-season games (i.e., excluding playoffs or exhibition games). Players in bold face are active as of the 2022 Major League Baseball season , with the number in parenthesis designating the number of home runs they have hit during the 2022 season. The last change in the cutoff for the top 300 occurred on September 11, 2022, when Eugenio Suarez hit his 223rd career home run, displacing Jason Bay and Don Mattingly.
No matter how people discuss Bonds' epic takeover of the history books, it will never be as good as the '98 show. What Mark McGwire was able to produce—on the field and for people's wonderment—in 1998 won't be matched. Roger Maris did what he did, but didn't have the media saturation and access to shift America's attention.
The pre-trigger wiggle followed a lighting-fast release of the hands that resembled speed typically reserved for Mike Tyson. Sheffield knocked six long balls for the Florida Marlins in 1998 before heading west to Los Angeles, raising doubts that Chavez Ravine was a pitchers' park. Compact mechanics from a compact frame was the name of the game for Brian Giles. After spending his final season with the Indians in 1998, Giles landed in Pittsburgh, where he would improve his power numbers with a consistent 35-plus home run display in the first three seasons. A unique batting stance—nonchalant, matching the personality—still supplied impressive power for the Braves' young centerfielder. One year removed from finishing fifth in the NL's Rookie of the Year voting, Jones went on a stretch where he hit 30 or more homers three of the next four seasons.
The Hall of Famer didn't let one of the craziest trades in MLB history affect his approach at the plate in 1998. After the dust had settled on the seven-player deal that eventually led to Piazza playing for the Mets, the slugger put on a consistent home run show the next four seasons, including a 40 spot in '99. The first home run champion in the National League was George Hall. In the league's inaugural 1876 season, Hall hit five home runs for the short-lived National League Philadelphia Athletics.
He belted home runs for the Oakland Athletics—only one season under 30—and, unlike many others during this stretch, walked more than he struck out. His most productive long-ball output happened during his AL MVP season in 2000 when he launched 43. The left-handed Burnitz ripped his way through those four seasons, with a consecutive run of 30-plus homers. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy hit 315 round-trippers in his 14-year career—nearly 45 percent of them occurring in the slammin' summers of '98 through '01. Become a Stathead today and run queries with our Season and Career Finders to see the best seasons in MLB history. Mike Schmidt led the National League in home runs eight times, the second most such titles in MLB history.
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