No player in recent history has showcased more sheer power at the plate than Miami Marlins Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.
The 27-year-old has already crushed 54 balls out of play and has easily been the Miami's best player. He currently sits second in RBI (113) and runs (109), and is batting at a respectable .281 this season.
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Stanton’s success is likely causing longtime baseball fans to feel a bit nostalgic, considering legendary sluggers Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were posting similar home run totals nearly 20 years ago. With that in mind, here is a look at the eight highest single-season home run totals in MLB history.
• All stats were gathered from Baseball Reference
8) Babe Ruth, 1927- 60
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‘The Great Bambino’ set his career high in home runs as a member of the New York Yankees in 1927. What is perhaps most impressive about the number is that it was reached in just 151 games. Ruth’s historic season helped the Yanks capture their second World Series Championship in franchise history.
7) Roger Maris, 1961- 61
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Fellow New York Yankee Roger Maris surpassed Ruth by a single homer in 1961 at just 26 years of age. The outfielder was a seven-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion, and two-time AL MVP. Maris’ name has not yet been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, which has received criticism from prominent members in the sport. His number 9 was retired by New York and he is still remembered as one of the team’s all-time greats.
6) Sammy Sosa, 1999- 63
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One of the most dominant hitters in the nineties, Sosa was a force to be reckoned with every time he came to the plate. The Cubs legend crushed 63 homers in one of multiple home run races with his friendly rival Mark McGwire. But we’ll have more on those later.
5) Sammy Sosa, 2001- 64
Two years after hitting 63, Sosa one-upped himself with an incredible 64 dingers. It marked the third time he had reached at least 60 home runs in a single season during his career.
4) Mark McGwire, 1999- 65
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Behind Barry Bonds, numerous baseball fans likely view McGwire as the most dominant home run hitter of his era. The Pomona, California native posted his second highest total in 1999, edging Sosa by just two swings. The 1998 season would ultimately prove to be the most competitive battle between the two, though.
3) Sammy Sosa, 1998- 66
You would think hitting 66 bangers would be enough to capture a title, but that wasn’t the case for Sosa in the 1998 season. The total marked a career high, but ultimately he fell just short of McGwire in what is remembered today as the greatest home run race of all time.
2) Mark McGwire, 1998- 70
‘Big Mac’ became the first player to reach 70 home runs in a single season at the age of 34. It remained an MLB record until it was broken during the 2001 campaign by a fellow MLB legend.
1) Barry Bonds, 2001, 73
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Bonds holds both the single-season and all-time home run records. In 2001, he passed McGwire’s total at the age of 36. Six year’s later, he would break Hank Aaron’s all-time record with his 756th jack.
Now that the list has been revealed, it is worth noting that Bonds and McGwire both admitted to using PEDs, and though many have suspected Sosa of doing the same, he was caught by umpires using an illegal cork in his bat.
Regardless of their past, these players still hold a place in history. Do you think one of today’s sluggers will be joining them on the list any time soon?
