Home Run Percentage Single Season National League Leaders on Baseball Almanac

Single Season Leaders for Home Run Percentage in the National League

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 National League 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 National League single season home run percentage leaders, and a bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.

"I study pitchers. I visualize pitches. That gives me a better chance every time I step into the box. That doesn't mean I'm going to get a hit every game, but that's one of the reasons I've come a long way as a hitter." - Mark McGwire

Home Run Percentage Single Season National League Leaders 'Top 500'
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
Barry Bonds	12.06 (12.0643)	2004	San Francisco Giants	NL	4
Barry Bonds	11.54 (11.5385)	2003	San Francisco Giants	NL	5
Barry Bonds	11.41 (11.4144)	2002	San Francisco Giants	NL	6
Sammy Sosa	11.09 (11.0919)	2001	Chicago Cubs	NL	7
Sammy Sosa	10.26 (10.2644)	1998	Chicago Cubs	NL	8
Barry Bonds	10.21 (10.2083)	2000	San Francisco Giants	NL	9
Sammy Sosa	10.08 (10.0800)	1999	Chicago Cubs	NL	10
Ryan Howard	9.98 (9.9828)	2006	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	11
Ralph Kiner	9.84 (9.8361)	1949	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	12
Jeff Bagwell	9.75 (9.7500)	1994	Houston Astros	NL	13
Kevin Mitchell	9.68 (9.6774)	1994	Cincinnati Reds	NL	14
Matt Williams	9.66 (9.6629)	1994	San Francisco Giants	NL	15
Hack Wilson	9.57 (9.5727)	1930	Chicago Cubs	NL	16
Hank Aaron	9.49 (9.4949)	1971	Atlanta Braves	NL	17
Barry Bonds	9.46 (9.4629)	1994	San Francisco Giants	NL	18
Willie Stargell	9.39 (9.3933)	1971	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	19
Luis Gonzalez	9.36 (9.3596)	2001	Arizona Diamondbacks	NL	20
Willie Mays	9.32 (9.3190)	1965	San Francisco Giants	NL	21
Willie McCovey	9.16 (9.1650)	1969	San Francisco Giants	NL	22
Albert Pujols	9.16 (9.1589)	2006	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	23
Ralph Kiner	9.03 (9.0265)	1947	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	24
Dave Kingman	9.02 (9.0226)	1979	Chicago Cubs	NL	25
Ryan Howard	8.88 (8.8847)	2007	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	26
Sammy Sosa	8.81 (8.8130)	2002	Chicago Cubs	NL	27
Willie Mays	8.79 (8.7931)	1955	New York Giants	NL	28
Mike Schmidt	8.76 (8.7591)	1980	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	29
Mike Schmidt	8.76 (8.7571)	1981	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	30
Prince Fielder	8.73 (8.7260)	2007	Milwaukee Brewers	NL	31
Greg Vaughn	8.73 (8.7260)	1998	San Diego Padres	NL
Jim Edmonds	8.72 (8.7248)	2003	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	33
Andruw Jones	8.70 (8.7031)	2005	Atlanta Braves	NL	34
Johnny Mize	8.70 (8.7031)	1947	New York Giants	NL
Kevin Mitchell	8.66 (8.6556)	1989	San Francisco Giants	NL	36
Larry Walker	8.63 (8.6268)	1997	Colorado Rockies	NL	37
Ralph Kiner	8.59 (8.5923)	1950	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	38
Gary Sheffield	8.58 (8.5828)	2000	Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	39
Ted Kluszewski	8.55 (8.5515)	1954	Cincinnati Redlegs	NL	40
Barry Bonds	8.53 (8.5343)	1993	San Francisco Giants	NL	41
George Foster	8.46 (8.4553)	1977	Cincinnati Reds	NL	42
Larry Walker	8.45 (8.4475)	1999	Colorado Rockies	NL	43
Jim Edmonds	8.43 (8.4337)	2004	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	44
Willie Stargell	8.43 (8.4291)	1973	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	45
Eddie Mathews	8.40 (8.4034)	1954	Milwaukee Braves	NL	46
Lance Berkman	8.40 (8.3955)	2006	Houston Astros	NL	47
Gary Sheffield	8.39 (8.3851)	1994	Florida Marlins	NL	48
Joe Adcock	8.37 (8.3700)	1956	Milwaukee Braves	NL	49
Jack Clark	8.35 (8.3532)	1987	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	50
Todd Helton	8.35 (8.3475)	2001	Colorado Rockies	NL	51
Mike Schmidt	8.32 (8.3179)	1979	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	52
Sammy Sosa	8.28 (8.2781)	2000	Chicago Cubs	NL	53
Albert Pujols	8.27 (8.2746)	2009	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	54
Jim Thome	8.27 (8.2677)	2004	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	55
Giancarlo Stanton	8.24 (8.2405)	2012	Miami Marlins	NL	56
Eddie Mathews	8.22 (8.2164)	1955	Milwaukee Braves	NL	57
Greg Vaughn	8.18 (8.1818)	1999	Cincinnati Reds	NL	58
Willie Mays	8.13 (8.1315)	1964	San Francisco Giants	NL	59
Jim Thome	8.13 (8.1315)	2003	Philadelphia Phillies	NL
Barry Bonds	8.12 (8.1238)	1996	San Francisco Giants	NL	61
Eddie Mathews	8.12 (8.1174)	1953	Milwaukee Braves	NL	62
Adam Dunn	8.10 (8.0986)	2004	Cincinnati Reds	NL	63
Gary Sheffield	8.09 (8.0925)	1996	Florida Marlins	NL	64
Hank Aaron	8.04 (8.0439)	1969	Atlanta Braves	NL	65
Carlos Beltran	8.04 (8.0392)	2006	New York Mets	NL	66
Sammy Sosa	8.03 (8.0321)	1996	Chicago Cubs	NL	67
Adrian Beltre	8.03 (8.0268)	2004	Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	68
Fred McGriff	8.02 (8.0189)	1994	Atlanta Braves	NL	69
Jim Edmonds	8.00 (8.0000)	2000	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	70
Jeff Bagwell	7.97 (7.9661)	2000	Houston Astros	NL	71
Chipper Jones	7.94 (7.9365)	1999	Atlanta Braves	NL	72
Duke Snider	7.93 (7.9336)	1956	Brooklyn Dodgers	NL	73
Andres Galarraga	7.93 (7.9279)	1998	Atlanta Braves	NL	74
Shawn Green	7.92 (7.9160)	2001	Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	75
Ralph Kiner	7.91 (7.9096)	1951	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	76
Roy Campanella	7.90 (7.8998)	1953	Brooklyn Dodgers	NL	77
Andre Dawson	7.89 (7.8905)	1987	Chicago Cubs	NL	78
Willie Mays	7.89 (7.8905)	1962	San Francisco Giants	NL
Richard Hidalgo	7.89 (7.8853)	2000	Houston Astros	NL	80
Hank Sauer	7.88 (7.8846)	1954	Chicago Cubs	NL	81
Mike Piazza	7.88 (7.8838)	2000	New York Mets	NL	82
Willie McCovey	7.88 (7.8788)	1970	San Francisco Giants	NL	83
Duke Snider	7.87 (7.8740)	1957	Brooklyn Dodgers	NL	84
Ryan Howard	7.87 (7.8689)	2008	Philadelphia Phillies	NL	85
Orlando Cepeda	7.86 (7.8632)	1961	San Francisco Giants	NL	86
Duke Snider	7.81 (7.8067)	1955	Brooklyn Dodgers	NL	87
Eric Davis	7.81 (7.8059)	1987	Cincinnati Reds	NL	88
Dave Kingman	7.81 (7.8059)	1976	New York Mets	NL
Willie McCovey	7.80 (7.8014)	1963	San Francisco Giants	NL	90
Prince Fielder	7.78 (7.7834)	2009	Milwaukee Brewers	NL	91
Dale Murphy	7.77 (7.7739)	1987	Atlanta Braves	NL	92
Albert Pujols	7.77 (7.7703)	2004	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	93
Derrek Lee	7.74 (7.7441)	2005	Chicago Cubs	NL	94
Eddie Mathews	7.74 (7.7441)	1959	Milwaukee Braves	NL
Rogers Hornsby	7.74 (7.7381)	1925	St. Louis Cardinals	NL	96
Adam Dunn	7.74 (7.7369)	2008	Arizona Diamondbacks	NL	97
Adam Dunn	7.74 (7.7369)	2008	Cincinnati Reds	NL	97
Sammy Sosa	7.74 (7.7369)	2003	Chicago Cubs	NL
Mel Ott	7.71 (7.7064)	1929	New York Giants	NL	99
Vladimir Guerrero	7.71 (7.7058)	2000	Montreal Expos	NL	100
Name	Percent (Raw)	Year	Team	League	Rank
Current Through 2013 Season

Did you know that Mark McGwire, who is ranked number two (#2) and number three (#3) on this page, is also ranked number one (#1), number twenty-three (#23) and number thirty (#30) on the American League single season leaders for home run percentage?

The code to write the single season home run percentage league splits was developed in 2005, launched during 2006 and made possible by your support — please continue helping us create these kinds of pages by supporting our site.

The American League single season record for home run percentage was set in 1996 by Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics. The National League single season record for home run percentage is on this page. Is either the Career Leader for Home Run Percentage?

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