Major League Baseball Single Season Home Run Clubs
The first Major League Baseball player to hit 50 or more home runs was Babe Ruth. He hit 54 in 1920 setting the single season home run record. He went on to break his own single season record twice, in 1921 with 59, and again in 1927 with 60 - a record that stood until Roger Maris beat it in 1961. Babe is the only baseball player to be the inaugural member of two single season home run clubs (50 and 60). The 70 home run club was started by Mark McGwire in 1998. Barry Bonds is currently the only other member of the 70 Home Run Club.
In total, there are currently 23 players who have hit 50 or more home runs in 39 seasons. The last players to do it were Ryan Howard (58) of Philadelphia and David Ortiz (54) of Boston in 2006.
70 Home Run Club
Mark McGwire created the 70 home run club in 1998 by virtue of his 70 home run season with the St. Louis Cardinals, which at that time was the single season record.
| Player | HR | Team Record? | Team | Season | Single Season Record? | Career HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Bonds (active player) | 73 | (team record) | San Francisco Giants | 2001 | (single season record) | 762 |
| Mark McGwire | 70 | (team record) | St. Louis Cardinals | 1998 | (single season record) | 583 |
60 Home Run Club
Babe Ruth became the inaugural member of the 60 home run club in 1927, setting a single season home run record. Since then, five other players have joined him, starting with Roger Maris in 1961 who broke Babe's single season record with 61 home runs to establish another single season home run record.
| Player | HR | Team Record? | Team | Season | Single Season Record? | Career HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sammy Sosa (active player) | 66 | Chicago Cubs | 1998 | 608 | ||
| Mark McGwire | 65 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1999 | 583 | ||
| Sammy Sosa (active player) | 64 | Chicago Cubs | 2001 | 608 | ||
| Sammy Sosa (active player) | 63 | Chicago Cubs | 1999 | 608 | ||
| Roger Maris | 61 | (team record) | New York Yankees | 1961 | (single season record) | 275 |
| Babe Ruth | 60 | New York Yankees | 1927 | (single season record) | 714 |
50 Home Run Club
Babe Ruth was the first member of the 50 home run club by virtue of hitting 54 home runs in 1920. He went on to break his own record by hitting 59 in 1921, and 60 in 1927 (to establish the 60 home run club).
| Player | HR | Team Record? | Team | Season | Single Season Record? | Career HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babe Ruth | 59 | New York Yankees | 1921 | (single season record) | 714 | |
| Jimmie Foxx | 58 | (team record) | Philadelphia Athletics | 1932 | 534 | |
| Hank Greenberg | 58 | (team record) | Detroit Tigers | 1938 | 331 | |
| Mark McGwire | 58 | Oakland Athletics & St. Louis Cardinals | 1997 | 583 | ||
| Ryan Howard (active player) | 58 | (team record) | Philadelphia Phillies | 2006 | 124 | |
| Luis Gonzalez (active player) | 57 | (team record) | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2001 | 346 | |
| Alex Rodriguez (active player) | 57 | (team record) | Texas Rangers | 2002 | 517 | |
| Hack Wilson | 56 | Chicago Cubs | 1930 | 244 | ||
| Ken Griffey Jr. (active player) | 56 | (team record) | Seattle Mariners | 1997 | 593 | |
| Ken Griffey Jr. (active player) | 56 | Seattle Mariners | 1998 | 593 | ||
| Babe Ruth | 54 | New York Yankees | 1920 | (single season record) | 714 | |
| Babe Ruth | 54 | New York Yankees | 1928 | 714 | ||
| Ralph Kiner | 54 | (team record) | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1949 | 369 | |
| Mickey Mantle | 54 | New York Yankees | 1961 | 536 | ||
| David Ortiz (active player) | 54 | (team record) | Boston Red Sox | 2006 | 264 | |
| Alex Rodriguez (active player) | 54 | New York Yankees | 2007 | 517 | ||
| Mickey Mantle | 52 | New York Yankees | 1956 | 536 | ||
| Willie Mays | 52 | San Francisco Giants | 1965 | 660 | ||
| George Foster | 52 | (team record) | Cincinnati Reds | 1977 | 348 | |
| Mark McGwire | 52 | Oakland Athletics | 1996 | 583 | ||
| Alex Rodriguez (active player) | 52 | Texas Rangers | 2001 | 517 | ||
| Jim Thome (active player) | 52 | (team record) | Cleveland Indians | 2002 | 504 | |
| Ralph Kiner | 51 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1947 | 369 | ||
| Johnny Mize | 51 | New York Giants | 1947 | 359 | ||
| Willie Mays | 51 | New York Giants | 1955 | 660 | ||
| Cecil Fielder | 51 | Detroit Tigers | 1990 | 319 | ||
| Andruw Jones (active player) | 51 | (team record) | Atlanta Braves | 2005 | 368 | |
| Jimmie Foxx | 50 | Boston Red Sox | 1938 | 534 | ||
| Albert Belle | 50 | Cleveland Indians | 1995 | 381 | ||
| Brady Anderson | 50 | (team record) | Baltimore Orioles | 1996 | 210 | |
| Greg Vaughn | 50 | San Diego Padres | 1998 | 355 | ||
| Sammy Sosa (active player) | 50 | Chicago Cubs | 2000 | 608 | ||
| Prince Fielder (active player) | 50 | (team record) | Milwaukee Brewers | 2007 | 80 |
Players with Multiple 50+ Home Run Seasons
Only 9 Major League Baseball players have hit 50 or more home runs in more than one season. The are:
| # Seasons | Player | 50 Home Run Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Babe Ruth | 1920 (54), 1921 (59), 1927 (60), 1928 (54) |
| 4 | Mark McGwire | 1996 (52), 1997 (58), 1998 (70), 1999 (65) |
| 4 | Sammy Sosa (active player) | 1998 (66), 1999 (63), 2000 (50), 2001 (64) |
| 3 | Alex Rodriguez (active player) | 2001 (52), 2002 (57), 2007 (54) |
| 2 | Jimmie Foxx | 1932 (58), 1938 (50) |
| 2 | Ken Griffey Jr. (active player) | 1997 (56), 1998 (56) |
| 2 | Mickey Mantle | 1956 (52), 1961 (54) |
| 2 | Ralph Kiner | 1947 (51), 1949 (54) |
| 2 | Willie Mays | 1955 (51), 1965 (52) |
Other Baseball Articles
- 2007 Baseball Champions
- The Best Baseball Movies
- Eastern League Championship
- Governors' Cup - International League Championship
- Little League World Series Baseball Champions
- Major League Baseball 2007 Playoffs
- Major League Baseball Single Season Home Run Clubs
- NCAA Baseball Champions
- Pacific Coast League Championship
- Spring Training
- Summer College Baseball
- Visiting the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York
- World Series
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