In order to be the player with the most home runs in a career, you have to hit a lot of them. In fact, you need to average more than one every three games. That is what it takes to become the leader in this category.
To date, there are only six players who have accomplished this feat. They are Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Sammy Sosa.
Top 10 Major League Baseball Players with Most Home Runs in a Career
Each of these players has their own story and reason for hitting all those home runs. But one thing is for sure – it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be the best in any category. So far, Bonds holds the record for most home runs in a career. Aaron is a close second. Who will take the top spot next? Only time will tell!
Here are the top 10 major league baseball:
1. Barry Bonds with 762 Home Runs
Barry Bonds was born on July 24, 1964 and he is a former Major League Baseball player. He played 22 seasons from 1986 to 2007 as an outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. Bonds served as the hitting coach of the Miami Marlins in 2016 and 2017. However, he resigned after announcing that season would be his last with the Miami Marlins.
Barry Bonds is baseball’s all-time home run leader with 762, igniting national controversy in the process. Bonds made his professional debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1985 and joined Major League Baseball in 1986. He won eight Gold Glove awards in 1990, 1992 through 1996, 1998 through 2000, 2002 through 2004, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the National League seven times. He tied Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record in 2001, while breaking Hank Aaron’s career home run record in 2007.
Bonds is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He won a total of 14 MVP Awards which also is an MLB record. He was instrumental in driving the San Francisco Giants to two World Series Championships.
2. Henry Aaron with 755 Home Runs
In 1974, Henry Aaron earned his 755th career home run in the major leagues. He is often referred to as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. In fact, some argue that he was even better than Babe Ruth. He certainly wasn’t the original home run king; that award goes to Barry Bonds who acquired his record-breaking 756th home run in 2007.
Henry Aaron was born on February 5, 1934. He played baseball for twenty-three seasons with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves again from 1954 to 1976. In his career as a hitter he had 3,771 hits as well as scored 2,174 runs and had 755 home runs. He batted .305 in his career, with a .374 on base percentage, and 3,771 hits. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.
In fact, he once hit a home run which may have been the longest ever in professional baseball. The ball landed 540 feet from home plate and went through a fence and a window outside of the ballpark.
Aaron’s record was not one that was easily gained and he played in a time when African-Americans were just beginning to gain equality in baseball. He is still considered by many to be one of, if not the best player ever to play the game. In fact, when asked about his legacy Aaron stated that “I wanted people to remember me as a good player who gave the best that he had to give.”
3. Babe Ruth with 714 Home Runs
Babe Ruth is one of the most iconic figures in American sports history. And home run number 714 is what many consider to be the most famous because it’s so far away from other big league hitters, and established his status as a true all-time great. Bambino was not only an amazing power hitter but one of the best pitchers, after learning his trade in the rotation and bullpen of the Boston Red Sox. This helped him to become a member of baseball’s elite home run club and retired with 714 four-baggers, three more than his nearest rival.
4. Alex Rodriguez with 696 Home Runs
Alex Rodriguez is a third baseman and shortstop who has played for four teams at the Major League level:
- Seattle Mariners (1994-2000),
- Texas Rangers (2001-2003),
- New York Yankees (2004-)
- Miami Marlins (2015)
He has also spent time with their minor league affiliates – 1994-1996 – Double A, 1996 – Single A, 1996-1998 – Triple A.
Rodriguez’s professional career started in 1993 when he was selected by Seattle Mariners with the first pick of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. His next game will be on Friday, April 29th at 7:10 pm against Atlanta Braves at Marlins Park in Miami, FL as a member of the Miami Marlins.
5. Albert Pujols with 679 Home Runs
Albert Pujols is a Dominican-American professional baseball player who has played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the St. Louis Cardinals . He has won three MVP awards, three World Series , and two Gold Glove Awards. With 679 career home runs, he is tied for fourth on the all-time home run list.
Pujols began his major league career in 2001 with the Cardinals and helped St. Louis win the World Series that year, beginning a decade-long string of consecutive playoff appearances for the team. In 2004 , he won his first MVP award and earned his second World Series championship . He has been named to eleven All-Star Games, won three Silver Slugger Awards , and has been named the National League (NL) Player of the Month five times. He is arguably one of the best players currently in baseball.
- Who did Albert Pujols Play for?
Pujols has spent the majority of his career as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals , suiting up for the team for 11 seasons. He spent one year with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before signing a 10-year contract to return to his original team in 2014.
- Who has Albert Pujols Played with?
Pujols played with many different players throughout his career, including David Freese , Yadier Molina, Chris Carpenter , Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright , and David Eckstein.
6. Willie Mays with 660 Home Runs
Willie Mays is considered one of the finest all-round players in the history of baseball and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. Willie Mays reportedly had 660 home runs and played for teams like New York Giants, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. His nicknames include “Say Hey Kid”, “The Say-Hey Kid” and “The Greatest”. His major league debut was on the 25th of May, 1951 for Brooklyn Dodgers. Mays spent his first eight seasons with them before moving to New York Giants in May, 1951. He played another 21 seasons aside from his first one.
- Early Life of Willie Mays
He began playing baseball at an early age and helped out his family financially by working several jobs while still playing. He played in Negro Leagues for the Birmingham Black Barons. His minor league career took off when he debuted for the Memphis Red Sox in 1948. He was later drafted by the New York Giants to become their starting center fielder.
- Major League Career – Stats, Awards and Highlights of Willie Mays
Willie Mays played in 3 World Series for the New York Giants. He had more than 100 RBIs in his first six Major League seasons. Willie Mays was an exceptionally good outfielder and won Gold Gloves for twelve consecutive times between 1957 to 1968 which was a major league record at that time. He played every inning of every game on 134 occasions which is an all-time baseball record.
In 1952, Mays made both the National League and American League All-Star teams. He won a World Series ring in 1954 as well as a Gold Glove award. In 1956, he became the first member of the New York Giants to hit four home runs in one game during a playoff against the Philadelphia Phillies. Willie Mays was also named the NL MVP in 1954, 1965 and 1969. Willie Mays also got his first of his three NL home run titles in 1955 when he hit 46 HRs. He again led the National League in this category in 1957 with 51 round trippers.
- Willie Mays Today
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 and had his number 24 retired by the Giants. Willie Mays has received several honors and awards over his career including: The Sporting News National League Player of the Year Award (1954, 1965, 1969), The Sporting News National League All-Star Team (1952, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959*, 1960*, 1961*, 1962*, 1965*, 1968*), NL Gold Glove Award (1957**, 1958**, 1959* 1960* 1961* 1962*) and the Roberto Clemente Award (1971). He has a street named after him in Fairfield, Alabama where he grew up. * First player to win multiple Gold Glove Award in the outfield * Tied for National League lead with three Gold Gloves
A great player and a highly respected person who is often referred to as Baseball’s Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays is one of the all-time greatest baseball players. He was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 and had his jersey number 24 retired by the San Francisco Giants.
7. Ken Griffey with 630 Home Runs
On Aug. 10, 2016, Ken Griffey Jr. (born 1969) was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility on the highest percentage ever by any electorate: 99.3%. He played 22 years for 3 teams – Seattle Mariners (1989–1999), Cincinnati Reds (2000–2008) and Chicago White Sox (2009). He was a 13-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner.
Griffey is one of the most prominent baseball players of his generation, and popularized the phrase “I’m going to Disney World!” as an endorsement for the tourist destination after hitting a key home run in the 1997 MLB Playoffs which later became the title of a book. In 1999, he was ranked number 57 on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a candidate for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
On August 8, 2016, Griffey confirmed that he would be retiring from professional baseball at the end of the year. He played his last major league game on October 3, 2016.
On August 10, 2016, his first year of eligibility for the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s class of 2016 elections, Griffey was elected with a record 99.3% of votes cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). His 630 home runs rank as the seventh-most belted ball in history. He is one of five players in MLB history to hit at least 600 home runs.
Griffey was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame and had his number retired by the Mariners on August 6, 2017. On August 10, 2018 Griffey’s number retirement ceremony was held for the Reds.
8. Jim Thome with 612 Home Runs
Jim Thome with 612 Home Runs is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a designated hitter and first baseman for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins. While playing college baseball for the University of Peoria’s Richwoods High School and College at age 16.
9. Sammy Sosa with 609 Home Runs
Sammy Sosa with 609 home runs is a retired professional baseball player who played outfield for Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and the Chicago White Sox during his career. Sammy started his career in 1989 when he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1st round of the Major League Baseball Draft. He made his debut with the Rangers on June 16th 1989 and played with them until 1993.
In 1994 Sammy signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs and was one of the centerpieces of the Cubs lineup during their run to the playoffs for three consecutive years from 1998-2000. He also helped his team become Central Division Champions in 2003 then went on to play 2 more years with the Cubs.
In 2005 he signed a contract to play for the Baltimore Orioles and played there until 2007 when they traded him to the Chicago White Sox. After playing 19 games in the 2008 season, he announced his retirement from baseball on May 8th, 2008.
Sammy Sosa has been ranked among the greatest outfielders in the history of baseball. In 2006 he was voted in the All-Century team and has been ranked number 42 on The Sporting News list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players published in 1998. Sosa is one of only five players to hit 600 or more home runs and also holds the league’s record for most home runs during the regular season (caught stealing) and in a single season (1998). He is also the only player to hit 60 home runs in three consecutive seasons.
10. Frank Robinson with 586 Home Runs
Frank Robinson is a baseball outfielder with 586 home runs who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and California Angles. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. In 1975, Frank Robinson became the first African-American manager in Major League Baseball history when he was named player-manager of the Cleveland Indians.
