Home Run Percentage Single Season Leaders on Baseball Almanac

Single Season Leaders for Home Run Percentage

Have you ever wondered how often Mark McGwire hit a long ball in 1998? How about his numbers compared to Roger Maris in 1961? Babe Ruth in 1927? Here is a chart that breaks down over the course of a single season a hitters percentage of at-bats [(home runs divided by at-bats) times 100] which result in a home run.

Note: Three point one plate (3.1) appearances per scheduled game are needed to make this list, raw averages are presented to further clarify the one-hundred greatest single season home run percentage leaders, and a bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.

"As a ballplayer, I would be delighted to do it again. As an individual, I doubt if I could possibly go through it again." - Roger Maris (#16 Overall Single Season Leader for Home Run Percentage)

Home Run Percentage Single Season Leaders 'Top 100'
Name	Percent (Raw)	Year	Team	League	Rank
Barry Bonds	15.34 (15.3361)	2001	San Francisco Giants	NL	1
Mark McGwire	13.75 (13.7525)	1998	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	2
Mark McGwire	12.48 (12.4760)	1999	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	3
Mark McGwire	12.29 (12.2931)	1996	Oakland Athletics	AL	4
Barry Bonds	12.06 (12.0643)	2004	San Francisco Giants	NL	5
Babe Ruth	11.79 (11.7904)	1920	New York Yankees	AL	6
Barry Bonds	11.54 (11.5385)	2003	San Francisco Giants	NL	7
Barry Bonds	11.41 (11.4144)	2002	San Francisco Giants	NL	8
Babe Ruth	11.11 (11.1111)	1927	New York Yankees	AL	9
Sammy Sosa	11.09 (11.0919)	2001	Chicago Cubs	NL	10
Babe Ruth	10.93 (10.9259)	1921	New York Yankees	AL	11
Jim Thome	10.83 (10.8333)	2002	Cleveland Indians	AL	12
Mark McGwire	10.74 (10.7407)	1997	Oakland Athletics	AL	13
Mark McGwire	10.74 (10.7407)	1997	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	13
Mickey Mantle	10.51 (10.5058)	1961	New York Yankees	AL	14
Hank Greenberg	10.43 (10.4317)	1938	Detroit Tigers	AL	15
Roger Maris	10.34 (10.3390)	1961	New York Yankees	AL	16
Sammy Sosa	10.26 (10.2644)	1998	Chicago Cubs	NL	17
Barry Bonds	10.21 (10.2083)	2000	San Francisco Giants	NL	18
Sammy Sosa	10.08 (10.0800)	1999	Chicago Cubs	NL	19
Babe Ruth	10.07 (10.0746)	1928	New York Yankees	AL	20
Ryan Howard	9.98 (9.9828)	2006	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	21
Jimmie Foxx	9.91 (9.9145)	1932	Philadelphia Athletics	AL	22
Ralph Kiner	9.84 (9.8361)	1949	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	23
Mickey Mantle	9.76 (9.7561)	1956	New York Yankees	AL	24
Jeff Bagwell	9.75 (9.7500)	1994	Houston Astros	NL	25
Kevin Mitchell	9.68 (9.6774)	1994	Cincinnati Reds	NL	26
David Ortiz	9.68 (9.6774)	2006	Boston Red Sox	AL
Matt Williams	9.66 (9.6629)	1994	San Francisco Giants	NL	28
Hack Wilson	9.57 (9.5727)	1930	Chicago Cubs	NL	29
Frank Thomas	9.52 (9.5238)	1994	Chicago White Sox	AL	30
Hank Aaron	9.49 (9.4949)	1971	Atlanta Braves	NL	31
Babe Ruth	9.49 (9.4949)	1926	New York Yankees	AL
Jim Gentile	9.47 (9.4650)	1961	Baltimore Orioles	AL	33
Barry Bonds	9.46 (9.4629)	1994	San Francisco Giants	NL	34
Babe Ruth	9.46 (9.4595)	1930	New York Yankees	AL	35
Willie Stargell	9.39 (9.3933)	1971	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	36
Carlos Pena	9.39 (9.3878)	2007	Tampa Bay Devil Rays	AL	37
Luis Gonzalez	9.36 (9.3596)	2001	Arizona Diamondbacks	NL	38
Willie Mays	9.32 (9.3190)	1965	San Francisco Giants	NL	39
Jim Thome	9.32 (9.3156)	2001	Cleveland Indians	AL	40
Alex Rodriguez	9.26 (9.2624)	2007	New York Yankees	AL	41
Travis Hafner	9.25 (9.2511)	2006	Cleveland Indians	AL	42
Ken Griffey, Jr.	9.24 (9.2379)	1994	Seattle Mariners	AL	43
Babe Ruth	9.22 (9.2184)	1929	New York Yankees	AL	44
Ken Griffey, Jr.	9.21 (9.2105)	1997	Seattle Mariners	AL	45
Boog Powell	9.20 (9.1981)	1964	Baltimore Orioles	AL	46
Willie McCovey	9.16 (9.1650)	1969	San Francisco Giants	NL	47
Albert Pujols	9.16 (9.1589)	2006	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	48
Albert Belle	9.16 (9.1575)	1995	Cleveland Indians	AL	49
Alex Rodriguez	9.13 (9.1346)	2002	Texas Rangers	AL	50
Ted Williams	9.05 (9.0476)	1957	Boston Red Sox	AL	51
Ralph Kiner	9.03 (9.0265)	1947	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	52
Dave Kingman	9.02 (9.0226)	1979	Chicago Cubs	NL	53
Mark McGwire	8.99 (8.9936)	1992	Oakland Athletics	AL	54
Ken Griffey, Jr.	8.99 (8.9908)	1996	Seattle Mariners	AL	55
Babe Ruth	8.97 (8.9716)	1932	New York Yankees	AL	56
Cecil Fielder	8.90 (8.9005)	1990	Detroit Tigers	AL	57
Ryan Howard	8.88 (8.8847)	2007	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	58
Jimmie Foxx	8.85 (8.8496)	1938	Boston Red Sox	AL	59
Ken Griffey, Jr.	8.85 (8.8468)	1998	Seattle Mariners	AL	60
Harmon Killebrew	8.83 (8.8288)	1969	Minnesota Twins	AL	61
Sammy Sosa	8.81 (8.8130)	2002	Chicago Cubs	NL	62
Mark McGwire	8.80 (8.7971)	1987	Oakland Athletics	AL	63
Willie Mays	8.79 (8.7931)	1955	New York Giants	NL	64
Mike Schmidt	8.76 (8.7591)	1980	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	65
Mike Schmidt	8.76 (8.7571)	1981	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	66
Albert Belle	8.74 (8.7379)	1994	Cleveland Indians	AL	67
Harmon Killebrew	8.74 (8.7379)	1963	Minnesota Twins	AL
Prince Fielder	8.73 (8.7260)	2007	Milwaukee Brewers	NL	69
Greg Vaughn	8.73 (8.7260)	1998	San Diego Padres	NL
Jim Edmonds	8.72 (8.7248)	2003	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	71
Andruw Jones	8.70 (8.7031)	2005	Atlanta Braves	NL	72
Johnny Mize	8.70 (8.7031)	1947	New York Giants	NL
Harmon Killebrew	8.70 (8.6957)	1962	Minnesota Twins	AL	74
Babe Ruth	8.70 (8.6957)	1924	New York Yankees	AL
Juan Gonzalez	8.69 (8.6876)	1996	Texas Rangers	AL	76
Manny Ramirez	8.66 (8.6560)	2000	Cleveland Indians	AL	77
Kevin Mitchell	8.66 (8.6556)	1989	San Francisco Giants	NL	78
Brady Anderson	8.64 (8.6356)	1996	Baltimore Orioles	AL	79
Larry Walker	8.63 (8.6268)	1997	Colorado Rockies	NL	80
Babe Ruth	8.62 (8.6207)	1922	New York Yankees	AL	81
Babe Ruth	8.61 (8.6142)	1931	New York Yankees	AL	82
Ralph Kiner	8.59 (8.5923)	1950	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	83
Gary Sheffield	8.58 (8.5828)	2000	Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	84
Juan Gonzalez	8.58 (8.5821)	1993	Texas Rangers	AL	85
Jim Thome	8.57 (8.5714)	2006	Chicago White Sox	AL	86
Reggie Jackson	8.56 (8.5610)	1969	Oakland Athletics	AL	87
Ted Kluszewski	8.55 (8.5515)	1954	Cincinnati Redlegs	NL	88
Barry Bonds	8.53 (8.5343)	1993	San Francisco Giants	NL	89
Jay Buhner	8.51 (8.5106)	1995	Seattle Mariners	AL	90
Frank Robinson	8.51 (8.5069)	1966	Baltimore Orioles	AL	91
Harmon Killebrew	8.50 (8.5028)	1961	Minnesota Twins	AL	92
Harmon Killebrew	8.49 (8.4922)	1964	Minnesota Twins	AL	93
Lou Gehrig	8.46 (8.4629)	1934	New York Yankees	AL	94
Lou Gehrig	8.46 (8.4629)	1936	New York Yankees	AL
George Foster	8.46 (8.4553)	1977	Cincinnati Reds	NL	96
Larry Walker	8.45 (8.4475)	1999	Colorado Rockies	NL	97
Jim Edmonds	8.43 (8.4337)	2004	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	98
Jason Giambi	8.43 (8.4314)	2000	Oakland Athletics	AL	99
Manny Ramirez	8.43 (8.4291)	1999	Cleveland Indians	AL	100
Name	Percent (Raw)	Year	Team	League	Rank
Current Through 2009 Season

The top ten (10) spots are shared by only four (4) players: Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and joining the group in 2002 was Jim Thome; however, yet another spectacular season by Bonds in 2003 knocked Thome out of the top down to eleventh overall in single season history.

Some call the strike season of 1994 the year of the home run — who knows what might have happened that particular season and we invite you to share your opinion of that infamous season on Baseball Fever.

Are these truly the one-hundred greatest slugging seasons in Major League history? Compare this chart with the top one-hundred slugging average seasons and put together a list of your own with statistics to back up your opinion with hard stats.

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