Single Season Leaders for Home Runs

When Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris' single season record he brought back many of the fans who were still upset from the strike in 1994. When Sammy Sosa kept the pressure on McGwire and finished with sixty-six he brought back as many fans by his sheer class and off-field activities.

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the top one-hundred (100) all-time single season leaders in Major League home runs. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.
"I don't know why people like the home run so much. A home run is over as soon as it starts." - Cincinnati Reds Outfielder George Foster (#22 Overall Single Season Leaders for Home Runs)
Home Runs
Single Season Leaders

'Top 100'
Barry Bonds 73 2001 San Francisco Giants NL 1
Mark McGwire 70 1998 St. Louis Cardinals NL 2
Sammy Sosa 66 1998 Chicago Cubs NL 3
Mark McGwire 65 1999 St. Louis Cardinals NL 4
Sammy Sosa 64 2001 Chicago Cubs NL 5
Sammy Sosa 63 1999 Chicago Cubs NL 6
Roger Maris 61 1961 New York Yankees AL 7
Babe Ruth 60 1927 New York Yankees AL 8
Babe Ruth 59 1921 New York Yankees AL 9
Jimmie Foxx 58 1932 Philadelphia Athletics AL 10
Hank Greenberg 58 1938 Detroit Tigers AL  
Ryan Howard 58 2006 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Mark McGwire 58 1997 Oakland Athletics AL  
St. Louis Cardinals NL
Luis Gonzalez 57 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 14
Alex Rodriguez 57 2002 Texas Rangers AL  
Ken Griffey, Jr. 56 1998 Seattle Mariners AL 16
Ken Griffey, Jr. 56 1997 Seattle Mariners AL  
Hack Wilson 56 1930 Chicago Cubs NL  
Ralph Kiner 54 1949 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 19
Mickey Mantle 54 1961 New York Yankees AL  
David Ortiz 54 2006 Boston Red Sox AL  
Alex Rodriguez 54 2007 New York Yankees AL  
Babe Ruth 54 1928 New York Yankees AL  
Babe Ruth 54 1920 New York Yankees AL  
George Foster 52 1977 Cincinnati Reds NL 25
Mickey Mantle 52 1956 New York Yankees AL  
Willie Mays 52 1965 San Francisco Giants NL  
Mark McGwire 52 1996 Oakland Athletics AL  
Alex Rodriguez 52 2001 Texas Rangers AL  
Jim Thome 52 2002 Cleveland Indians AL  
Cecil Fielder 51 1990 Detroit Tigers AL 31
Andruw Jones 51 2005 Atlanta Braves NL  
Ralph Kiner 51 1947 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Willie Mays 51 1955 New York Giants NL  
Johnny Mize 51 1947 New York Giants NL  
Brady Anderson 50 1996 Baltimore Orioles AL 36
Albert Belle 50 1995 Cleveland Indians AL  
Prince Fielder 50 2007 Milwaukee Brewers NL  
Jimmie Foxx 50 1938 Boston Red Sox AL  
Sammy Sosa 50 2000 Chicago Cubs NL  
Greg Vaughn 50 1998 San Diego Padres NL  
Albert Belle 49 1998 Chicago White Sox AL 42
Barry Bonds 49 2000 San Francisco Giants NL  
Andre Dawson 49 1987 Chicago Cubs NL  
Lou Gehrig 49 1936 New York Yankees AL  
Lou Gehrig 49 1934 New York Yankees AL  
Shawn Green 49 2001 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Ken Griffey, Jr. 49 1996 Seattle Mariners AL  
Todd Helton 49 2001 Colorado Rockies NL  
Harmon Killebrew 49 1969 Minnesota Twins AL  
Harmon Killebrew 49 1964 Minnesota Twins AL  
Ted Kluszewski 49 1954 Cincinnati Redlegs NL  
Willie Mays 49 1962 San Francisco Giants NL  
Mark McGwire 49 1987 Oakland Athletics AL  
Albert Pujols 49 2006 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Frank Robinson 49 1966 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Babe Ruth 49 1930 New York Yankees AL  
Sammy Sosa 49 2002 Chicago Cubs NL  
Jim Thome 49 2001 Cleveland Indians AL  
Larry Walker 49 1997 Colorado Rockies NL  
Albert Belle 48 1996 Cleveland Indians AL 61
Adrian Beltre 48 2004 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Jimmie Foxx 48 1933 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
Ken Griffey, Jr. 48 1999 Seattle Mariners AL  
Frank Howard 48 1969 Washington Senators AL  
Harmon Killebrew 48 1962 Minnesota Twins AL  
Dave Kingman 48 1979 Chicago Cubs NL  
Alex Rodriguez 48 2005 New York Yankees AL  
Mike Schmidt 48 1980 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Willie Stargell 48 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Hank Aaron 47 1971 Atlanta Braves NL 71
Jeff Bagwell 47 2000 Houston Astros NL  
Ernie Banks 47 1958 Chicago Cubs NL  
George Bell 47 1987 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Andres Galarraga 47 1996 Colorado Rockies NL  
Lou Gehrig 47 1927 New York Yankees AL  
Troy Glaus 47 2000 Anaheim Angels AL  
Juan Gonzalez 47 1996 Texas Rangers AL  
Ryan Howard 47 2007 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Reggie Jackson 47 1969 Oakland Athletics AL  
Ralph Kiner 47 1950 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Ted Kluszewski 47 1955 Cincinnati Redlegs NL  
Eddie Mathews 47 1953 Milwaukee Braves NL  
Willie Mays 47 1964 San Francisco Giants NL  
Kevin Mitchell 47 1989 San Francisco Giants NL  
David Ortiz 47 2005 Boston Red Sox AL  
Rafael Palmeiro 47 2001 Texas Rangers AL  
Rafael Palmeiro 47 1999 Texas Rangers AL  
Alex Rodriguez 47 2003 Texas Rangers AL  
Babe Ruth 47 1926 New York Yankees AL  
Jim Thome 47 2003 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Barry Bonds 46 2002 San Francisco Giants NL 92
Barry Bonds 46 1993 San Francisco Giants NL  
Jose Canseco 46 1998 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Vinny Castilla 46 1998 Colorado Rockies NL  
Orlando Cepeda 46 1961 San Francisco Giants NL  
Joe DiMaggio 46 1937 New York Yankees AL  
Adam Dunn 46 2004 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Lou Gehrig 46 1931 New York Yankees AL  
Jim Gentile 46 1961 Baltimore Orioles AL 100
Juan Gonzalez 46 1993 Texas Rangers AL  
Harmon Killebrew 46 1961 Minnesota Twins AL  
Derrek Lee 46 2005 Chicago Cubs NL  
Eddie Mathews 46 1959 Milwaukee Braves NL  
Carlos Pena 46 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays AL  
Albert Pujols 46 2004 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Jim Rice 46 1978 Boston Red Sox AL  
Babe Ruth 46 1924 New York Yankees AL  
Babe Ruth 46 1931 New York Yankees AL  
Babe Ruth 46 1929 New York Yankees AL  
Alfonso Soriano 46 2006 Washington Nationals NL  
Current Through End of 2007 Regular Season


Babe Ruth was ranked first overall for thirty-four (34) year, Roger Maris was ranked first thirty-seven (37) years, and Mark McGwire stayed on top only three (3) years before Barry Bonds dethroned him.

Did you know that Hank Aaron is the only player in Major League history to hit twenty (20) or more home runs in twenty (20) different big league seasons?

Babe Ruth holds the Major League record for hitting two (2) or more home runs during a single game with seventy-two (72) different instances.
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