Single Season Home Runs: A Complete Guide

single-season-home-runs
By Keith Allison via Wikimedia Commons

This is the ultimate guide for single season home runs of all kinds in MLB.

If you’re looking to find:

  • The most home runs in a season
  • Each MLB team’s single-season home run record
  • Single-season home run leaderboards for each team
  • MLB home run leaders since 2013
  • Single-season HR record holders at each position
  • A team-by-team look at 40-homer seasons
  • Every team’s Single-season HR record holders at each position
  • The 40/40 club
  • Most consecutive games with a home run
  • Every player to hit four homers in a game
  • Each MLB team’s most recent three-homer performance
  • Who has hit the longest home runs (now and in the past)
  • Unlikely players to hit an inside-the-park home run
  • Who has hit the most home runs before the All-Star break
  • All of Kyle Schwarber’s leadoff home runs
  • Relive Trea Turner’s World Baseball Classic HR binge
  • The Most Insane Kyle Schwarber Stat
  • Details on the most powerful rookie seasons ever
  • Rookie home run records for each team
  • Memorable home run moments
  • Most home runs in a season by a team
  • Most home runs in a game by each team
  • 2022 MLB home run leaders for each team
  • 2023 MLB home run leaders for each team

Then you’re in the right place. As we continue to add content to the site, the appropriate subjects will get highlighted below.

Editor’s Note: We’re proud to partner with Baseballism so you can get 15% off your next order! Use this link or DINGERS15 at checkout to get your discount!

Single Season Home Runs: A Complete Guide

Most Home Runs in a Season

Which players have posted the most powerful seasons in MLB history? It’s an exclusive list with several sluggers appearing more than once. Here’s the top 10 (with plenty of ties):

How impressive of a feat is this? Well, just look at the above leaderboard. Even with the very top getting completely transformed, there are still performances from the 1920s and 1930s on there. This is a hard thing to do. Get more context around each of these performances (as well as videos) right here.

Each MLB Team’s Single-Season Home Run Record

As we talked about in our career home run leaders guide, solely talking about the league’s top home run hitters would leave out lots of memorable performances. And since our focus here is on single season home runs, it can bring even more random (read: wonderful) players into the spotlight. With that said, here’s each MLB team’s single-season home run king.

Get all the details you need for each of these season-long performances, along with videos that contain lots of dingers, right here.

Single-Season Home Run Leaderboards for Each MLB Team

Once again, as we mentioned in our career home run leaders guide, merely talking about each MLB team’s single-season home run leader leaves out other memorable performances deserving of recognition. That’s why we put together a single-season home run leaderboard for each team.

Click on the bolded team name for context and videos. Below, we call out the top-five most powerful seasons for each organization.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Atlanta Braves

Baltimore Orioles

Boston Red Sox

Chicago White Sox

Chicago Cubs

Cincinnati Reds

Cleveland Guardians

Colorado Rockies

Detroit Tigers

Houston Astros

Kansas City Royals

Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Dodgers

Miami Marlins

Milwaukee Brewers

Minnesota Twins

New York Yankees

New York Mets

Oakland Athletics

Philadelphia Phillies

Pittsburgh Pirates

San Diego Padres

San Francisco Giants

Seattle Mariners

St. Louis Cardinals

Tampa Bay Rays

Texas Rangers

Toronto Blue Jays

Washington Nationals

MLB Home Run Leaders Since 2013

Did you know that crowns for home run kings are given out every year? Well, who knows if players actually get crowns (it’d be cool if they do, though). Here are the home run kings for the National League and American League in each season since 2013:

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

  • National League: Kyle Schwarber, 46
  • American League: Aaron Judge, 62

2023

  • National League: Matt Olson, 54
  • American League: Shohei Ohtani, 44

As you can see, several performances we’ve already highlighted in other articles will appear in this one. That’s not surprising at all, and it’ll likely keep happening. As new single-season home run leaders become available, we’ll update our article to reflect those efforts (and go back in time, too). Check out more details for each of these performances (as well as videos, duh) right here.

Single-Season HR Record at Each Position

Which seasons have been most powerful at each position across the diamond? Here’s a quick rundown:

Get more details about these performances, watch videos, and see who else is currently in the top five right here.

A Team-by-Team Look at 40 Home Run Seasons

In the 150-plus years of professional baseball, hitting a certain number of homers is still a special feat. There have been just over 360 occurrences of 40-plus homers by a player in a single season. We break everything down on a team-by-team basis right here.

Every Team’s Single-Season HR Record at Each Position

We’re starting a new project here. In the coming weeks, we’ll be outlining the single-season HR leaders at each position for every MLB team. As each article is published, it will be updated below.

All 40/40 Seasons in Baseball History

What’s the most impressive combination of talents for a single baseball player on offense? That’d be an equal amount of speed and power. And when they can do them frequently at the same time, magic happens. There have only been four players to amass at least 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in one season. It hasn’t been done since 2006, although there have been some close calls along the way. Here’s the full list of this exclusive club’s members:

  • Jose Canseco, 1988: 42 home runs, 40 stolen bases
  • Barry Bonds, 1996: 42 home runs, 40 stolen bases
  • Alex Rodriguez, 1998: 42 home runs, 46 stolen bases
  • Alfonso Soriano, 2006: 46 home runs, 41 stolen bases
  • Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023: 41 home runs, 73 stolen bases

As we can see above, A-Rod is the only primary infielder to accomplish this feat. Who will be the next one? While we wait for that to happen, view all the details here, including videos of each player racking up the statistic that cemented their seat in this group.

Most Consecutive Games With a Home Run

Hitting a home run in the big leagues is hard. Doing it in consecutive games is also hard, but some players make it look easy. Three dudes have slugged a dinger in eight straight games. Here’s what the rest of the top 10 looks like:

There have been a total of 35 different instances of a player hitting a home run in at least six straight games. Check out the full list (and some videos for the top 10) right here.

Every Player to Hit Four Homers in a Game

When it comes to hitting home runs, the greatest single-game accomplishment for a player is hitting four in one contest. It’s another exclusive list in MLB history, but it’s happened more often than the 40/40 club. Here are some of the details for sluggers who have etched their respective names in baseball’s record books:

American League

National League

Get all the details you need, along with as many videos as we can find, in our article right here.

3 Home Runs in a Game: Each MLB Team’s Most Recent Occurrence

There have been a lot of three-homer performances in MLB history. But who has done it last for each MLB team? Here are the answers:

  • Arizona Diamondbacks: Josh Rojas, May 20, 2022
  • Atlanta Braves: Adam Duvall, September 2 and 9, 2020
  • Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle, June 19th, 2021
  • Boston Red Sox: Trevor Story, May 19, 2022
  • Chicago Cubs: Rafael Ortega, August 1, 2021
  • Chicago White Sox: Seby Zavala, July 31, 2021
  • Cincinnati Reds: Jesse Winker May 21 and June 6, 2021
  • Cleveland Guardians: Jose Ramirez, June 8, 2023
  • Colorado Rockies: Brendan Rodgers, June 1, 2022
  • Detroit Tigers: Victor Martinez, June 16, 2016
  • Houston Astros: Jose Altuve, September 5, 2023
  • Kansas City Royals: Lorenzo Cain, May 10, 2016
  • Los Angeles Angels: Torii Hunter, June 13, 2009
  • Los Angeles Dodgers: Trayce Thompson, April 1, 2023
  • Miami Marlins: Brian Anderson, September 18, 2020
  • Milwaukee Brewers: Kolten Wong, September 22, 2022
  • Minnesota Twins: Miguel Sano, May 18, 2021
  • New York Mets: Francisco Lindor, September 12, 2021
  • New York Yankees: Aaron Judge, September 22, 2023
  • Oakland Athletics: Jordan Diaz, May 9, 2023
  • Philadelphia Phillies: Brad Miller, July 8, 2021
  • Pittsburgh Pirates: Michael Perez, June 30, 2022
  • San Diego Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr., June 25, 2021
  • San Francisco Giants: Joc Pederson, May 24, 2022
  • Seattle Mariners: Kyle Seager, August 13, 2019
  • St. Louis Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt, May 7, 2023
  • Tampa Bay Rays: Isaac Paredes, June 21, 2022
  • Texas Rangers: Adolis Garcia, April 22, 2023
  • Toronto Blue Jays: Bo Bichette, September 5, 2022
  • Washington Nationals: Lane Thomas, June 3, 2022

Get all the details (and videos) of these performances by heading over to our article.

Who Has Hit The Longest Home Runs?

In addition to asking who has hit the most home runs in a single game, season, or career, another popular question among baseball fans is who has hit the longest home runs. We have a couple of different answers for that so far. This area of the site will continue to get some additions along the way.

The Longest Verified Home Run Ever

Mickey Mantle technically holds the Guinness Book World Record for the longest home run ever at 643 feet. That’s not the longest verified home run, though. That honor belongs to Joey Meyer, who hit a 582-foot blast on June 3, 1987 in Triple-A. In addition to giving this moonshot some love, we put the spotlight on tanks that took place before and during the Statcast era. Here’s the summary:

Pre-Statcast Moonshots

Longest Home Runs During the Statcast Era

Admire the handiwork from every one of these sluggers right here.

The Longest Home Runs of 2021

Since the Statcast era dates to the 2015 season, we’ll go back that far to give some love to the longest home runs each season. And as each current season ends, we’ll honor the most impressive tanks, as well. For now, here are the 10 longest home runs of 2021:

Are you interested in watching the trajectory of each of these bombs? Well, you’re in luck because they’re all compiled here.

The Longest Home Runs of 2022

MLB’s 2022 season included a ton of absolute tanks. Coors Field was the host to many of them, but unlike previous years, there were a number of moonshots in Denver by left-handed hitters. It’s not like that hasn’t happened in the past, but these homers in particular traveled to places I don’t remember seeing.

Here’s a rundown of the longest homers in 2022:

If you want to watch all of these dingers (I mean, who doesn’t, right?) then you should head over here to check it all out.

Unlikely Players With an Inside-the-Park Home Run 

What’s more exciting than watching a player leg out a triple? Probably watching them motor around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. But what’s better: watching a speedy runner do it, or someone you would’ve never expected to accomplish such a feat?

You don’t have to answer that, but we’ve singled out a handful of unlikely players to hit an inside-the-parker here:

Watch these dudes lumber to complete a trip around the bases here.

Who Has Hit the Most Home Runs Before The All-Star Break?

There’s nothing quite like fitting a full season’s worth of dingers into the first half. Get more context (and lots of videos) on the top 16 occurrences in MLB history right here, as well as a full list of those who have hit 30-plus homers in the first half.

Chronicling Kyle Schwarber’s Leadoff Home Runs

When Kyle Schwarber debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 2015, did anyone expect him to become a prolific leadoff hitter? No, definitely not. That’s the beauty of baseball, though. He’s hit enough leadoff home runs that we had to create an article to start tracking them all. Watch each one of these leadoff Schwarbombs right here.

Relieve Trea Turner’s World Baseball Classic HR Binge

Phillies shortstop Trea Turner went on a crazy power streak during Team USA’s run to the 2023 WBC Finals in Miami. His five homers are tied for the most in a single tournament, and four of them came during a three-day span.

  • March 13, 2023: Home Run #1 vs. Team Canada
  • March 18th, 2023: Home Run #2 vs. Venezuela
  • March 19th, 2023: Home Run #3 vs. Cuba
  • March 19th, 2023: Home Run #4 vs. Cuba
  • March 21st, 2023: Home Run #5 vs. Japan

If you’d like to check out the videos and more, you can visit our article on his performance here.

Insane Kyle Schwarber Stat Just Got Even Better

Kyle Schwarber likes hitting home runs, and it doesn’t matter what the situation is. However, the bigger the moment, the better. He’s homered in the Cape Cod League Championship, every round of MLB’s postseason, and the World Baseball Classic Final. Seriously. Check out the details here.

Most Home Runs Hit By a Rookie

There have been 32 different seasons where a rookie MLB hitter has slugged at least 30 home runs. Here’s what that list looks like:

To get details and videos for the top-10 performances listed above, head this way.

Rookie Home Run Record for Each MLB Team

Sure, the most powerful rookie seasons are above, but what about each team’s rookie HR record? Those answers are below:

  • Arizona Diamondbacks: Chris Young, 32 in 2007
  • Atlanta Braves: Wally Berger, 38 in 1930
  • Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle, 33 in 2021
  • Boston Red Sox: Walt Dropo, 34 in 1950
  • Chicago Cubs: Patrick Wisdom, 28 in 2021
  • Chicago White Sox: Jose Abreu, 36 in 2014
  • Cincinnati Reds: Frank Robinson, 38 in 1956
  • Cleveland Guardians: Al Rosen, 37 in 1950
  • Colorado Rockies: Wilin Rosario, 28 in 2012
  • Detroit Tigers: Rudy York, 35 in 1937
  • Houston Astros: Yordan Alvarez, 27 in 2019
  • Kansas City Royals: Bob Hamelin, 24 in 1994
  • Los Angeles Angels: Tim Salmon, 31 in 1993
  • Los Angeles Dodgers: Cody Bellinger, 39 in 2017
  • Miami Marlins: Dan Uggla, 27 in 2006
  • Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun, 34 in 2007
  • Minnesota Twins: Jimmie Hall, 33 in 1963
  • New York Mets: Pete Alonso, 53 in 2019
  • New York Yankees: Aaron Judge, 52 in 2017
  • Oakland Athletics: Mark McGwire, 49 in 1987
  • Philadelphia Phillies: Willie Montañez, 30 in 1971
  • Pittsburgh Pirates: Jason Bay (2004) & Josh Bell (2017), 26
  • San Diego Padres: Hunter Renfroe, 26 in 2017
  • San Francisco Giants: Jim Ray Hart, 31 in 1964
  • Seattle Mariners: Julio Rodriguez, 28 in 2022
  • St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols, 37 in 2001
  • Tampa Bay Rays: Evan Longoria, 27 in 2008
  • Texas Rangers: Adolis Garcia, 31 in 2021
  • Toronto Blue Jays: Eric Hinske, 24 in 2002
  • Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper (2012) & Juan Soto (2018), 22

Get all the details (and videos) you need by visiting the full article right here.

Memorable Home Run Moments

Robert Fick and the Last Game at Tiger Stadium

Tiger Stadium officially closed its doors on September 27, 1999, after being home to the Tigers for 87 years. Robert Fick made sure to send it off into the sunset with an incredibly memorable blast. Read more about it right here.

Derek Jeter’s 3000th Hit Was As Memorable As Possible

Entering the 3,000-hit club is a momentous occasion that’s only happened 33 times in MLB history. But not many have a flair for the dramatic like Derek Jeter. He punched his ticket into the club in the most memorable way possible. Read all about it right here

Most Home Runs in a Season by a Team

We’ve spent plenty of time discussing which players have hit the most homers in a single season for various scenarios. But what about the teams that have gone deep the most? If you’ve been wondering who has hit the most home runs in a season by a team, then we have the answers.

Here’s what the top 16 look like on this leaderboard:

  • Atlanta Braves, 2023: 307 home runs
  • Minnesota Twins, 2019: 307
  • New York Yankees, 2019: 306
  • Houston Astros, 2019: 288
  • Los Angeles Dodgers, 2019: 279
  • New York Yankees, 2018: 267
  • Seattle Mariners, 1997: 264
  • Toronto Blue Jays, 2021: 262
  • Texas Rangers, 2005: 260
  • Oakland Athletics, 2019: 257
  • Toronto Blue Jays, 2010: 257
  • Baltimore Orioles, 1996: 257
  • Chicago Cubs, 2019: 256
  • New York Yankees, 2022: 254
  • Baltimore Orioles, 2016: 253
  • Milwaukee Brewers, 2019: 250

To check out videos for each of these 16 teams, as well as find out who makes up the remainder of the top 31, check out the article here.

Most Home Runs in a Game for Every MLB Team, Ranked

What is the franchise record for most home runs in a game for every MLB team? No team has a record of fewer than six dingers or more than 10.

The Blue Jays own the MLB record with a 10-homer barrage in 1987. Meanwhile, the Reds hold the National League record with nine homers during a game in 1999. To see the rest of the details, check out our post.

2022 MLB Home Run Leaders

Which players lead their own team in home runs during the 2022 season? We have all the answers for you right here:

If you’re curious about who rounds out the top five for each squad and you also want to watch a bunch of highlights, check out the article here.

2023 MLB Home Run Leaders

Which players lead their own team in home runs during the 2023 season? We have all the answers for you right here:

  • Angels: Shohei Ohtani, 44
  • Astros: Yordan Alvarez, 31
  • Athletics: Brent Rooker, 30
  • Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 26
  • Braves: Matt Olson, 54
  • Brewers: Willy Adames, 24
  • Cardinals: Nolan Gorman, 27
  • Cubs: Cody Bellinger and Christopher Morel, 26
  • Diamondbacks: Christian Walker, 33
  • Dodgers: Mookie Betts, 39
  • Giants: Wilmer Flores, 23
  • Guardians: Jose Ramirez, 24
  • Mariners: Julio Rodriguez, 32
  • Marlins: Jorge Soler, 36
  • Mets: Pete Alonso, 46
  • Nationals: Lane Thomas, 28
  • Orioles: Anthony Santander and Gunnar Henderson, 28
  • Padres: Juan Soto: 35
  • Phillies: Kyle Schwarber, 47
  • Pirates: Jack Suwinski, 26
  • Rangers: Adolis Garcia, 39
  • Rays: Isaac Paredes, 31
  • Red Sox: Rafael Devers, 33
  • Reds: Spencer Steer, 23
  • Rockies: Ryan McMahon, 23
  • Royals: Bobby Witt Jr., 30
  • Tigers: Spencer Torkelson, 31
  • Twins: Max Kepler, 24
  • White Sox: Luis Robert Jr., 38
  • Yankees: Aaron Judge, 37

If you’re looking fore more details and highlights for each of these players, check out our article right here.

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.