Major League Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the world. Every season, fans flock to stadiums to watch their favorite players compete. Home runs are an integral part of the game, and the player with the most home runs in a season is often celebrated for their achievement. So who leads major league baseball in home runs?
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth is one of the most iconic figures in Major League Baseball history. The New York Yankees outfielder is widely considered one of the best players of all time. He holds the record for most career home runs with 714, a record that stood for many years until it was broken by Hank Aaron in 1974. Ruth’s home run record is so famous that it is often referred to as the “Babe Ruth Home Run Record”.
Hank Aaron
Hank Aaron is the current leader in Major League Baseball home runs, with a total of 755. Aaron broke Ruth’s record in 1974 and held the record until 2007, when Barry Bonds surpassed him with his 762nd home run. Aaron was an outfielder for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, and is one of the most beloved players in baseball history.
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds is the current leader in Major League Baseball home runs, with a total of 762. Bonds broke Aaron’s record in 2007, and he holds the record to this day. Bonds was an outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, and is one of the most controversial players in baseball history. Bonds was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs during his career, and there are still many debates about whether or not he should be considered the all-time home run leader.
Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez is the fourth-leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball history, with 696 home runs. Rodriguez was an infielder for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees, and is one of the most talented players in baseball history. Rodriguez was also accused of using performance-enhancing drugs during his career, and he was suspended for the entire 2014 season as a result.
Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols is the fifth-leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball history, with 663 home runs. Pujols was an infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, and Anaheim Angels, and is one of the most consistent players in baseball history. Pujols is still active, and he is currently playing for the Los Angeles Angels.
Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Jr. is the sixth-leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball history, with 630 home runs. Griffey was an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds, and is one of the most popular players in baseball history. Griffey was known for his signature “swing”, and he is widely considered one of the best players of all time.
Jim Thome
Jim Thome is the seventh-leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball history, with 612 home runs. Thome was an infielder for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles, and is one of the most powerful players in baseball history. Thome was known for his long home runs, and his home run record is one of the most impressive in baseball history.
Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa is the eighth-leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball history, with 609 home runs. Sosa was an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, and is one of the most controversial players in baseball history. Sosa was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs during his career, and he was never able to recapture the success he had in 1998, when he hit 66 home runs.
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson is the ninth-leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball history, with 586 home runs. Robinson was an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, and California Angels, and is one of the most influential players in baseball history. Robinson was the first African-American manager in the major leagues, and he is widely considered one of the best players of all time.
Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro is the tenth-leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball history, with 569 home runs. Palmeiro was an infielder for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles, and is one of the most controversial players in baseball history. Palmeiro was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs during his career, and he was suspended for 10 games in 2005 for testing positive for a banned substance.
Conclusion
Major League Baseball has seen some of the greatest home run hitters in history, and the current leader in home runs is Barry Bonds with 762. Babe Ruth holds the all-time record with 714, but Hank Aaron, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Ken Griffey Jr., Jim Thome, Sammy Sosa, Frank Robinson, and Rafael Palmeiro all have impressive home run records of their own. With the right combination of skill, determination, and luck, any player has the potential to become the next great home run hitter.