40 Home Run Seasons: A Look at 363 Occurrences, Team-by-Team

Posted on by Matt Musico
40 home run seasons

Last Updated on April 7, 2024 by Matt Musico

What qualifies as a special performance in the home run department? If we use the Immaculate Grid game as part of making that determination, it’s 40 home run seasons. Professional baseball has been around for more than 150 years. Compared to that huge sample size, there have only been a handful of single-season performances that have resulted in 40-plus home runs.

There have been 48 different performances of at least 50-plus dingers in Major League Baseball history. If we lower than benchmark to 40, it shoots up to more than 350. If you’re looking for some Immaculate Grid help (or some studying before the next one gets released), this team-by-team look at 40 home run seasons should be helpful.

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Team-By-Team Look at 40 Home Run Seasons

Angels 40 Home Run Seasons

The Angels’ 40-homer club has gotten a bit of a makeover in recent years. But if a couple of very specific guys aren’t still with Los Angeles (and healthy) in the coming years, it’ll be hard to see how this club grows any bigger in the near future:

Astros 40 HR Seasons

The Houston Astros’ 40-homer club will eventually include Yordan Alvarez, as long as that dude can stay healthy for a full season at some point again. For now, just four hitters have accomplished the feat a total of seven times:

Athletics 40 Home Run Seasons

The A’s have produced 10 different seasons of 40-plus home runs. As you can imagine, Mark McGwire has his name etched on this list a few times. However, Oakland is also the owner of baseball’s oldest single-season record for home runs:

Blue Jays 40 Home Run Seasons

For only being a big-league club since 1977, it feels like the Blue Jays have produced quite a few 40-homer hitters. There have been 16 of these occurrences in franchise history:

Braves 40 Home Run Hitters

The Braves have had many hitters who have surpassed the 40-homer plateau. It helps when one of the best home run hitters of all time donned their uniform during their Hall of Fame career.

At the time of this original writing, there have been 22 Braves seasons of 40-plus homers:

Brewers 40 HR Seasons

The top of the Brewers’ single-season home run leaderboard provides some interesting names — some very familiar and some not-so-familiar. Here’s a peek:

Cardinals 40 Home Run Seasons

The St. Louis Cardinals have produced 12 different 40-homer seasons during their lifetime. However, these accomplishments are shared by just five players:

  • Mark McGwire: 70 home runs in 1998, 65 in 1999
  • Albert Pujols: 49 in 2006, 47 in 2009, 46 in 2004, 43 in 2003, 42 in 2010, 41 in 2005
  • Johnny Mize: 43 in 1940
  • Rogers Hornsby: 42 in 1922
  • Jim Edmonds: 42 in 2000 and 2004

Cubs 40 Home Run Seasons

Sammy Sosa is obviously the elite of the elite when it comes to Chicago Cubs home run history. However, there are others who join him in the franchise’s 40-homer club:

Diamondbacks 40 Home Run Seasons

The Diamondbacks have been around since 1998, and while an Arizona hitter has produced 30-plus homers 23 times, only two of them have surpassed the 40-homer plateau (so far):

Dodgers 40 HR Seasons

The Los Angeles Dodgers have collected 14 different seasons of 40-plus homers throughout its history. I’d imagine that many people are surprised at who owns the top spot, though.

Giants 40 Home Run Seasons

There have been 14 instances of 40-plus homers in Giants history. The majority of them belong to Barry Bonds and Willie Mays. They’re not the only ones on this list, though:

  • Barry Bonds: 73 home runs in 2001, 49 in 2000, 46 in 1993 and 2002, 45 in 2003 and 2004
  • Willie Mays: 52 in 1965, 51 in 1955, 49 in 1962, 47 in 1964
  • Johnny Mize: 51 in 1947
  • Kevin Mitchell: 47 in 1989
  • Orlando Cepeda: 46 in 1961
  • Willie McCovey: 45 in 1969
  • Mel Ott: 42 in 1929

Guardians 40 Home Run Hitters

There have been 12 instances of 40-plus homers in Guardians history, which has been accomplished by seven dudes. Some familiar ones, but also plenty of obscure names that’ll impress others if you whip them out in a conversation:

Mariners 40 Home Run Seasons

Ken Griffey Jr. should be the first name that pops up when someone wants to discuss Mariners home run history. I mean, just look at how many 40-homer seasons he racked up in Seattle:

  • Ken Griffey Jr.: 56 home runs in 1997 and 1998: 49 in 1996, 48 in 1999, 45 in 1993, 40 in 1994
  • Jay Buhner: 44 in 1996, 40 in 1995 and 1997
  • Nelson Cruz: 44 in 2015, 43 in 2016
  • Alex Rodriguez: 42 in 1998 and 1999, 41 in 2000

Marlins 40 Home Run Performances

Would you believe me if I said that Giancarlo Stanton produced just one season of 40-plus homers during his Marlins career? It was a memorable one, though, as he slugged 59 dingers during his 2017 NL MVP campaign. The only other such performance in franchise history came from Gary Sheffield. He slugged 42 homers in 1996.

Team-By-Team Look at 40 Home Run Seasons

Mets 40 Home Run Seasons

The top of the Mets’ single-season home run leaderboard has gotten a complete makeover since 2019 thanks to Pete Alonso. He’s been the only player added to this franchise list since 2006:

  • Pete Alonso: 53 home runs in 2019, 46 in 2023, 40 in 2022
  • Todd Hundley: 41 in 1996
  • Carlos Beltran: 41 in 2006
  • Mike Piazza: 40 in 1999

Nationals 40 Home Run Seasons

There have been just four 40-homer seasons in Expos/Nationals history. It’s an accomplishment that’s shared by three dudes:

Orioles 40 Home Run Seasons

There have been just eight instances of 40-plus homers in a season in Baltimore Orioles history, which is shared by seven different players:

Padres 40 Home Runs

The Padres’ 40-homer club is also another small one. However, there are some dudes currently on the roster who can find their way on there in the near future:

Pirates 40 Home Run Seasons

I’m not sure if Ralph Kiner rolls off your tongue whenever someone wants to talk about Pirates home run history, but he should. Look at how much he dominates Pittsburgh’s list of 40-homer hitters:

  • Ralph Kiner: 54 home runs in 1949, 51 in 1947, 47 in 1950, 42 in 1951, 40 in 1948
  • Willie Stargell: 48 in 1971, 44 in 1973

Phillies 40 HR Seasons

As of the 2023 season, Kyle Schwarber has been with the Phillies for two seasons. He’s already found his way onto this list twice. Here’s the full club for Philly:

  • Ryan Howard: 58 home runs in 2006, 48 in 2008, 47 in 2007, 45 in 2009
  • Mike Schmidt: 48 in 1980, 45 in 1979, 40 in 1983
  • Jim Thome: 47 in 2003, 42 in 2004
  • Kyle Schwarber: 47 in 2023, 46 in 2022
  • Chuck Klein: 43 in 1929, 40 in 1930
  • Cy Williams: 41 in 1923
  • Dick Allen: 40 in 1966

Rangers 40 Home Run Seasons

The Texas Rangers have been around since 1961 and have produced 18 different seasons of at least 40 homers. There are plenty of dudes with repeat performances on this list, too:

  • Alex Rodriguez: 57 home runs in 2002, 52 in 2001, 47 in 2003
  • Frank Howard: 48 in 1969, 44 in 1968 and 1970
  • Juan Gonzalez: 47 in 1996, 46 in 1993, 45 in 1998, 43 in 1992, 42 in 1997
  • Rafael Palmeiro: 47 in 1999 and 2001, 43 in 2002
  • Mark Teixeira: 43 in 2005
  • Josh Hamilton: 43 in 2012
  • Joey Gallo: 41 in 2017, 40 in 2018

Rays 40 HR Hitters

We’ve had some close calls in recent years, but the Rays have produced just one 40-homer season since getting established in 1998. It took place in 2007 when Carlos Peña slugged 46 dingers.

Reds 40 HR Seasons

The Reds, MLB’s oldest franchise, have experienced 16 performances of 40-plus homers during its lifetime. However, just one has gotten over the half-century mark in a single season. Here’s a look at the list:

Red Sox 40 Home Run Seasons

When I think of “Red Sox” and “home runs”, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are the first two sluggers that come to mind. Here are the 19 total instances of 40-plus homer seasons in a Boston uniform:

Rockies 40 HR Seasons

You’d think that with a ballpark like Coors Field to call home, there’d be plenty of 40-homer seasons in Rockies history. There are, especially when compared to other expansion teams. However, of the 14 instances listed below, only four have come after 2001 (by just two guys):

Royals 40 Home Run Seasons

The Kansas City Royals were the final MLB team to register a 40-homer season. And then they got a second one just a few seasons later. They at least made each instance count — Jorge Soler led the AL in 2019 with 48 home runs before Salvador Perez shared the AL Home Run crown in 2021. He also slugged 48 dingers.

Tigers 40 HR Seasons

Compared to Coors Field, it’s a lot harder to hit home runs at Comerica Park. The Tigers are also the owners of one of baseball’s oldest single-season home run records. Here are the 11 seasons of 40-plus homers in franchise history:

Twins 40 Home Run Seasons

Before even thinking about who to enter into your grid for Twins 40-homer hitters, you might as well just disregard Harmon Killebrew. Only because he’ll be a popular answer. Otherwise, he owns this area of Twins history:

  • Harmon Killebrew: 49 home runs in 1964 and 1969, 48 in 1962, 46 in 1961, 43 in 1963, 44 in 1967, 42 in 1959, 41 in 1970
  • Roy Sievers: 42 in 1957
  • Brian Dozier: 42 in 2016
  • Nelson Cruz: 41 in 2019

White Sox 40 Home Run Seasons

The Chicago White Sox have produced 12 different 40-plus homer seasons. There are some popular names on here, but probably a couple that’ll help the ol’ rarity score on the Immaculate Grid:

  • Albert Belle: 49 home runs in 1998
  • Jermaine Dye: 44 in 2006
  • Frank Thomas: 43 in 2000, 42 in 2003, 41 in 1993, 40 in 1995 and 1996
  • Jim Thome: 42 in 2006
  • Paul Konerko: 41 in 2004, 40 in 2005
  • Adam Dunn: 41 in 2012
  • Todd Frazier: 40 in 2016

Yankees 40 HR Hitters

The New York Yankees quite easily have produced the most 40-homer seasons in MLB history, because of course they have. Someone in pinstripes has slugged at least that many homers in a season on 32 (!) different occasions. Here they are:

  • Aaron Judge: 62 home runs in 2022, 52 in 2017
  • Roger Maris: 61 in 1961
  • Babe Ruth: 60 in 1927, 59 in 1921, 54 in 1920 and 1928, 49 in 1930, 47 in 1926, 46 in 1924, 1929, and 1931
  • Mickey Mantle: 54 in 1961, 52 in 1956, 42 in 1958, 40 in 1960
  • Alex Rodriguez: 54 in 2007, 48 in 2005
  • Lou Gehrig: 49 in 1934 and 1936, 47 in 1927, 46 in 1931, 41 in 1930
  • Joe DiMaggio: 46 in 1937
  • Tino Martinez: 44 in 1997
  • Curtis Granderson: 43 in 2012, 41 in 2011
  • Reggie Jackson: 41 in 1980
  • Jason Giambi: 41 in 2002 and 2003

Want to see some homers in person this season? Of course you do. Grab MLB tickets from our friends at Vivid Seats. And before you get to the stadium, make sure you’re decked out in the right gear. Get your favorite team’s official merch from the MLB Shop or a ‘Big Dinger Energy’ shirt from our apparel store.

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