HOME RUNS IN A CAREER RECORDS

MLB All-Time Home Run Totals for Every Position | Baseball Almanac

Home run in a career records by Baseball Almanac, a record book full of baseball milestones for home runs — including career home run records, positional career home run records and Opening Day home run records.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Many totals do not match-up exactly with career totals when positional records are viewed. This is because the home run MUST be hit while the player is at that position. Example: Ryne Sandberg finished his Major League career with two-hundred eighty-two home runs. However, five of his home runs were hit while he was playing shortstop so his record for career home runs by a second baseman is two-hundred seventy-seven. Research by Baseball Almanac.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"Growing up as a kid, I always sat down in front of the TV to watch him (Barry Bonds) hit a home run. That was it. I didn't care about a single or walk or double or triple. I wanted to see a homer. I wasn't the only kid or even adult who felt like that. He might've been the only person of that era who made a base hit seem pretty boring. ." - McCutchen, Andrew. Giants' Andrew McCutchen recalls Barry Bonds' home run pursuits, Shea, John. San Francisco Gate Writer. 10 August 2018.

Home Run Records

Career Home Run Records

Most Career Home Runs
In A Career | Top 1,000
AL Babe Ruth Boston 49 708
New York 659
NL Barry Bonds Pittsburgh 176 762
San Francisco 586
Most Career Home Runs
By A Catcher
AL Carlton Fisk Boston 157 351
Chicago 194
NL Mike Piazza Los Angeles 176 396
Florida 0
New York 200
San Diego 20

Most Career Home Runs
By A Designated Hitter

AL David Ortiz Minnesota 40 483
Boston 443
NL Marcell Ozuna Miami 0 65
St. Louis 0
Atlanta 65
Most Career Home Runs
By A First Baseman
AL Lou Gehrig New York 493 493
NL Willie McCovey San Francisco 390 439
San Diego 49
ML Mark McGwire Oakland [AL] 349 566
St. Louis [NL] 217

Most Career Home Runs
By A Leadoff Hitter
(At Start Of Game)

Bold = League Records

AL Rickey Henderson Oakland 43 73
New York 24
Toronto 1
Anaheim 1
Seattle 3
Boston 1
NL Craig Biggio Houston 53 53
ML Rickey Henderson Oakland [AL] 43 81
New York [AL] 24
Toronto [AL] 1
Anaheim [AL] 1
Seattle [AL] 3
Boston [AL] 1
New York [NL] 2
San Diego [NL] 5
Los Angeles [NL] 1
Most Career Home Runs
By A Lefthander
AL Babe Ruth Boston 49 708
New York 659
NL Barry Bonds Pittsburgh 176 762
San Francisco 586

Most Career Home Runs
By A Pinch Hitter

(Bold=League Leaders)

AL Gates Brown Detroit 16 16
NL Jerry Lynch Cincinnati 11 18
Pittsburgh 7
ML Matt Stairs Oakland [AL] 4 22
Milwaukee [NL] 1
Pittsburgh [NL] 2
Kansas City [AL] 2
Detroit [AL] 0
Toronto [AL] 2
Philadelphia [NL] 7
San Diego [NL] 4
Cliff Johnson New York [AL] 5 17
Cleveland [AL] 1
Oakland [AL] 1
Toronto [AL] 0
Houston [NL] 7
Chicago [NL] 3
Most Career Home Runs
By A Pitcher
AL Wes Ferrell Cleveland 36
Boston
Washington
New York
NL Warren Spahn Boston 35
Milwaukee
New York
San Francisco
ML Wes Ferrell Cleveland [AL] 36 37
Boston [AL]
Washington [AL]
New York [AL]
Boston [NL] 1
Most Career Home Runs
By A Righthander
AL Alex Rodriguez Seattle 189 696
Texas 156
New York 351
NL Hank Aaron Milwaukee 398 733
Atlanta 335
ML Hank Aaron Milwaukee [NL] 398 755
Atlanta [NL] 335
Milwaukee [AL] 22
Most Career Home Runs
By A Second Baseman
AL Robinson Cano New York 196 296
Seattle 100
NL Jeff Kent New York 56 349
San Francisco 171
Houston 49
Los Angeles 73
ML Jeff Kent Toronto [AL] 1 351
New York [NL] 56
Cleveland [AL] 1
San Francisco [NL] 171
Houston [NL] 49
Los Angeles [NL] 73
Most Career Home Runs
By A Shortstop
AL Cal Ripken, Jr. Baltimore 345 345
NL Ernie Banks Chicago 277 277
Most Career Home Runs
By A Switch Hitter
AL Mickey Mantle New York 536 536
NL Chipper Jones Atlanta 468 468
Most Career Home Runs
By A Third Baseman
AL Graig Nettles Minnesota 319
Cleveland
New York
NL Mike Schmidt Philadelphia 509
Most Career Home Runs
By An Outfielder
AL Babe Ruth Boston 686
New York
NL Barry Bonds Pittsburgh 748
San Francisco
Most Career Home Runs
In The Extra Innings
AL Babe Ruth Boston 16
New York
NL Willie Mays New York 22
San Francisco
New York
Most Career Home Runs
On Opening Day
AL Ken Griffey, Jr. Seattle 8 8
NL Eddie Mathews Milwaukee 7 7
Willie Mays New York 5 7
San Francisco 2
ML Adam Dunn Cincinnati [NL] 6 8
Chicago [AL] 2
Frank Robinson Baltimore [AL] 3 8
California [AL] 1
Cleveland [AL] 1
Cincinnati [NL] 3

Most Career Home Runs
On Player's Birthday

(Bold = League Leaders)

AL Alex Rodriguez Seattle 6 07-27-1996
Texas 07-27-2001
Texas 07-27-2002
Texas 07-27-2002
New York 07-27-2004
New York 07-27-2015
Al Simmons Philadelphia 5 05-22-1926
Philadelphia 05-22-1929
Philadelphia 05-22-1930
Philadelphia 05-22-1932
Chicago 05-22-1935
Mike Trout Los Angeles 5 08-07-2012
Los Angeles 08-07-2013
Los Angeles 08-07-2015
Los Angeles 08-07-2017
Los Angeles 08-07-2020
NL Mark Reynolds Arizona 6 08-03-2009
Arizona 08-03-2009
Arizona 08-03-2010
Milwaukee 08-03-2014
Colorado 08-03-2016
Colorado 08-03-2017
Todd Helton Colorado 5 08-20-1998
Colorado 08-20-2000
Colorado 08-20-2002
Colorado 08-20-2004
Colorado 08-20-2011
Chipper Jones Atlanta 5 04-24-1996
Atlanta 04-24-2001
Atlanta 04-24-2001
Atlanta 04-24-2008
Atlanta 04-24-2012
Derrek Lee Florida 5 09-06-2001
Florida 09-06-2003
Chicago 09-06-2004
Chicago 09-06-2005
Chicago 09-06-2006
Most Different Ballparks
With A Home Run Hit
AL Alex Rodriguez Seattle 32
Texas
New York
NL Mike Piazza Los Angeles 39
Florida
New York
ML Sammy Sosa Texas [AL] 45
Chicago [AL]
Chicago [NL]
Baltimore [AL]
Texas [AL]
Career Home Run Records | Research by Baseball Almanac
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baseball almanac fast facts

Babe Ruth hit the most career home runs for the same American League team by belting six-hundred fifty-nine home runs with the New York Yankees during his time in pinstripes (1920 through 1934).

Hank Aaron hit the most career home runs for the same National League team by hammering seven-hundred thirty-three home runs with the Braves organization during his career (1954 through 1974).

Did you know that the most home runs hit during a career by a designated hitter was once held by Harold Baines with two-hundred twenty-five, until Edgar Martinez passed him in 2004, and finished his career with two-hundred forty-three? Three years later (2007), Frank Thomas tied Martinez and the duo shared the prestigous record — all three of these legends are now members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but the current mark (483 HRs) is now held by David Ortiz.