Greatest Home Run Hitters in MLB History

There are a lot of elements that go into a successful baseball franchise. But one of the most crowd-pleasing and surefire ways for an MLB player to catapult their team to victory is for them to absolutely hammer a hanging pitch out of the park. These ten players are the greatest home run hitters in the history of the sport.

Frank Robinson, 586

Many fans know that Frank Robinson was the only player to ever be awarded the MVP accolade in both the National and American Leagues, but fewer can tell you that his impressive 586 career home runs make him the tenth-highest overall slugger in MLB history! The Judge played with quite a few teams in his career, including the Reds and the Orioles.

Sammy Sosa, 609

Dominican-born right fielder Sammy Sosa is best known for his time with the Cubs, the team he was with when he reached his 400^th career homer in his 1,354^th game. He was the first player to reach 400 in such a short time, and would end his career with 609 homers total, making him the ninth-best home run hitter of all time.

Jim Thome, 612

The eighth-best home run hitter in history is Jim Thome, who slugged 612 out of the park while playing for numerous teams. He started his career with Cleveland before bouncing to the Phillies, the White Sox, the Dodgers, the Twins, and finally the Orioles. His pure power approach and gregarious personality both made him very popular with baseball fans during his 22-year career.

Ken Griffey Jr., 630

The iconic Ken Griffey Jr. is the seventh-highest home run hitting player in MLB history. While he’s often underrated due to the Mariners never making their way to the World Series during his dominant period with them in the 90s, his stats speak for themselves. He hit a titanic 630 homers in his career, which speaks to his unmistakable talent.

Willie Mays, 660

Reliable all-rounder Willie Mays impressed fans with his talents in multiple roles. He hit 20 home runs in just his rookie year, catapulting the Giants to their first pennant in 14 years. Across his illustrious career, he played for the Giants and the Mets and put up 660 career homers.

Alex Rodriguez, 696

Say what you want about A-Rod, the third baseman could hit. His period of dominance with the Yankees wasn’t without controversy, of course, with his sub-.200 batting average in the 2005 and 2006 postseasons drawing criticism from New York fans. Notably, his performance improved dramatically in the 2009 postseason, endearing him to fans. His 696 lifetime home runs are also quite impressive!

Albert Pujols, 703

A lot of younger baseball fans assume that Albert Pujols’ first name is actually “The Great,” because that’s the only way he’s introduced these days. His 703 career home runs are only a shade off Babe Ruth’s number and put him in the conversation for being one of the greatest power hitters of all time.

Babe Ruth, 714

What is there to say about Babe Ruth that hasn’t already been said? He was the best, full stop. While others have exceeded his 714 home runs, the two who did so notably played a version of the game the Babe helped to create in his own time. Ruth introduced the modern, power-focused era of baseball and will always be remembered for his contributions to the sport.

Hank Aaron, 755

When Hank Aaron slugged his 715^th homer out of the park, it was an electric moment for Braves fans. When he wrapped up his career at 755 total home runs, the number was seared into the minds of baseball fanatics everywhere. Perplexingly, few can tell you off the cuff how many home runs Barry Bonds hit.

Barry Bonds, 762

And there’s a reason that people feel a bit conflicted about Bonds. While he slugged the best home run total in the history of the game at 762, a lot of fans say his achievement should be discounted because he may have done so with the aid of performance enhancing drugs. Still, his numbers are absurd, even without the specter of possible steroid use. He’s the only member of the 500-500 club, he’s the lifetime leader in walks and intentional walks, and he led all active players in RBIs at the time of his retirement.