Single Season Leaders for Home Runs in the American League

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.
"You (Jose Canseco) talk about the summer of 1998. If you recall, that's when (Sammy) Sosa and (Mark) McGwire were in this great home run race to break Roger Maris' record. And you said at that time, McGwire was at 280 pounds. And you said, quote, 'It took a lot of injections for him, McGwire, to get past Roger Maris that summer.'" - Guest Host Pat Halpin on Hannity & Colmes (Fox News Channel, 05/14/2005)
Home Runs
Single Season American League Leaders

'Top 100'
Roger Maris 61 1961 New York Yankees AL 1
Babe Ruth 60 1927 New York Yankees AL 2
Babe Ruth 59 1921 New York Yankees AL 3
Jimmie Foxx 58 1932 Philadelphia Athletics AL 4
Hank Greenberg 58 1938 Detroit Tigers AL  
Alex Rodriguez 57 2002 Texas Rangers AL 6
Ken Griffey, Jr. 56 1998 Seattle Mariners AL 7
Ken Griffey, Jr. 56 1997 Seattle Mariners AL  
Mickey Mantle 54 1961 New York Yankees AL 9
David Ortiz 54 2006 Boston Red Sox AL  
Alex Rodriguez 54 2007 New York Yankees AL  
Babe Ruth 54 1920 New York Yankees AL  
Babe Ruth 54 1928 New York Yankees AL  
Mickey Mantle 52 1956 New York Yankees AL 14
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 18
Brady Anderson 50 1996 Baltimore Orioles AL 19
Albert Belle 50 1995 Cleveland Indians AL  
Jimmie Foxx 50 1938 Boston Red Sox AL  
Albert Belle 49 1998 Chicago White Sox AL 22
Lou Gehrig 49 1936 New York Yankees AL  
Lou Gehrig 49 1934 New York Yankees AL  
Ken Griffey, Jr. 49 1996 Seattle Mariners AL  
Harmon Killebrew 49 1964 Minnesota Twins AL  
Harmon Killebrew 49 1969 Minnesota Twins AL  
Mark McGwire 49 1987 Oakland Athletics AL  
Frank Robinson 49 1966 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Babe Ruth 49 1930 New York Yankees AL  
Jim Thome 49 2001 Cleveland Indians AL  
Albert Belle 48 1996 Cleveland Indians AL 32
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  
Alex Rodriguez 48 2005 New York Yankees AL  
George Bell 47 1987 Toronto Blue Jays AL 38
Lou Gehrig 47 1927 New York Yankees AL  
Troy Glaus 47 2000 Anaheim Angels AL  
Juan Gonzalez 47 1996 Texas Rangers AL  
Reggie Jackson 47 1969 Oakland Athletics AL  
David Ortiz 47 2005 Boston Red Sox AL  
Rafael Palmeiro 47 1999 Texas Rangers AL  
Rafael Palmeiro 47 2001 Texas Rangers AL  
Alex Rodriguez 47 2003 Texas Rangers AL  
Babe Ruth 47 1926 New York Yankees AL  
Jose Canseco 46 1998 Toronto Blue Jays AL 48
Joe DiMaggio 46 1937 New York Yankees AL  
Lou Gehrig 46 1931 New York Yankees AL  
Jim Gentile 46 1961 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Juan Gonzalez 46 1993 Texas Rangers AL  
Harmon Killebrew 46 1961 Minnesota Twins AL  
Carlos Pena 46 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays AL  
Jim Rice 46 1978 Boston Red Sox AL  
Babe Ruth 46 1931 New York Yankees AL  
Babe Ruth 46 1929 New York Yankees AL  
Babe Ruth 46 1924 New York Yankees AL  
Rocky Colavito 45 1961 Detroit Tigers AL 59
Juan Gonzalez 45 1998 Texas Rangers AL  
Ken Griffey, Jr. 45 1993 Seattle Mariners AL  
Harmon Killebrew 45 1963 Minnesota Twins AL  
Manny Ramirez 45 2005 Boston Red Sox AL  
Manny Ramirez 45 1998 Cleveland Indians AL  
Gorman Thomas 45 1979 Milwaukee Brewers AL  
Jay Buhner 44 1996 Seattle Mariners AL 66
Jose Canseco 44 1991 Oakland Athletics AL  
Carlos Delgado 44 1999 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Jermaine Dye 44 2006 Chicago White Sox AL  
Cecil Fielder 44 1991 Detroit Tigers AL  
Jimmie Foxx 44 1934 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
Hank Greenberg 44 1946 Detroit Tigers AL  
Frank Howard 44 1970 Washington Senators AL  
Frank Howard 44 1968 Washington Senators AL  
Harmon Killebrew 44 1967 Minnesota Twins AL  
Tino Martinez 44 1997 New York Yankees AL  
Manny Ramirez 44 1999 Cleveland Indians AL  
Mo Vaughn 44 1996 Boston Red Sox AL  
Carl Yastrzemski 44 1967 Boston Red Sox AL  
Tony Armas 43 1984 Boston Red Sox AL 80
Jason Giambi 43 2000 Oakland Athletics AL  
Juan Gonzalez 43 1992 Texas Rangers AL  
Rafael Palmeiro 43 2002 Texas Rangers AL  
Rafael Palmeiro 43 1998 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Manny Ramirez 43 2004 Boston Red Sox AL  
Al Rosen 43 1953 Cleveland Indians AL  
Mark Teixeira 43 2005 Texas Rangers AL  
Frank Thomas 43 2000 Chicago White Sox AL  
Ted Williams 43 1949 Boston Red Sox AL  
Jose Canseco 42 1988 Oakland Athletics AL 90
Rocky Colavito 42 1959 Cleveland Indians AL  
Carlos Delgado 42 2003 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Juan Gonzalez 42 1997 Texas Rangers AL  
Shawn Green 42 1999 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Travis Hafner 42 2006 Cleveland Indians AL  
Harmon Killebrew 42 1959 Washington Senators AL  
Mickey Mantle 42 1958 New York Yankees AL  
Mark McGwire 42 1992 Oakland Athletics AL  
Alex Rodriguez 42 1999 Seattle Mariners AL  
Alex Rodriguez 42 1998 Seattle Mariners AL 100
Roy Sievers 42 1957 Washington Senators AL  
Dick Stuart 42 1963 Boston Red Sox AL  
Frank Thomas 42 2003 Chicago White Sox AL  
Jim Thome 42 2006 Chicago White Sox AL  
Hal Trosky 42 1936 Cleveland Indians AL  
Gus Zernial 42 1953 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
Current Through End of 2007 Regular Season


Do you believe that Roger Maris is still the "true" single season home run leader due to the constant debate and controversy in respect to steroid usage amongst modern major league ballplayers? Tell us on Baseball Fever.

The code to write the single season home runs 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 National League single season record for home runs was set in 2001 by Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants. The American League single season record for home runs is on this page. Is either the Career Leader for Home Runs?
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