Most of us know who led in home runs in 1961 and few of us will ever forget who led in 1998. A few more can tell you who led in 1920 but beyond those years we often forget who the home run leaders were.
Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a year-by-year leaderboard in Major League home runs for every season since 1876. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.
"Somebody will hit four-hundred (.400) again. Somebody will get smart and swing naturally." - Home Run Leader (1909) / Hall of Famer Ty Cobb
Home RunsYear-by-Year Leaders | '1876 - 2024' |
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Year | American League | HRs | Team(s) | Year | National League | HRs | Team(s) |
1876 | - |
- |
- |
1876 | 5 |
Philadelphia |
|
1877 | - |
- |
- |
1877 | 4 |
Cincinnati |
|
1878 | - |
- |
- |
1878 | 4 |
Providence |
|
1879 | - |
- |
- |
1879 | 9 |
Boston |
|
1880 | - |
- |
- |
1880 | 6 |
Boston |
|
Worcester |
|||||||
1881 | - |
- |
- |
1881 | 8 |
Buffalo |
|
1882 | - |
- |
- |
1882 | 7 |
Detroit |
|
1883 | - |
- |
- |
1883 | 10 |
New York |
|
1884 | - |
- |
- |
1884 | 27 |
Chicago |
|
1885 | - |
- |
- |
1885 | 11 |
Chicago |
|
1886 | - |
- |
- |
1886 | 11 |
Detroit |
|
Detroit |
|||||||
1887 | - |
- |
- |
1887 | 19 |
Washington |
|
1888 | - |
- |
- |
1888 | 16 |
Chicago |
|
1889 | - |
- |
- |
1889 | 20 |
Philadelphia |
|
1890 | - |
- |
- |
1890 | 13 |
Brooklyn |
|
New York |
|||||||
Chicago |
|||||||
1891 | - |
- |
- |
1891 | 16 |
Boston |
|
New York |
|||||||
1892 | - |
- |
- |
1892 | 13 |
Cincinnati |
|
1893 | - |
- |
- |
1893 | 19 |
Philadelphia |
|
1894 | - |
- |
- |
1894 | 18 |
Boston |
|
1895 | - |
- |
- |
1895 | 18 |
Philadelphia |
|
1896 | - |
- |
- |
1896 | 13 |
Philadelphia |
|
New York |
|||||||
Washington |
|||||||
1897 | - |
- |
- |
1897 | 11 |
Boston |
|
1898 | - |
- |
- |
1898 | 15 |
Boston |
|
1899 | - |
- |
- |
1899 | 25 |
Washington |
|
1900 | - |
- |
- |
1900 | 12 |
Boston |
|
1901 | Nap Lajoie | 14 |
Philadelphia | 1901 | 16 |
Cincinnati |
|
1902 | Socks Seybold | 16 |
Philadelphia | 1902 | 6 |
Pittsburgh |
|
1903 | Buck Freeman | 13 |
Boston | 1903 | 9 |
Brooklyn |
|
1904 | Harry Davis | 10 |
Philadelphia | 1904 | 9 |
Brooklyn |
|
1905 | Harry Davis | 8 |
Philadelphia | 1905 | 9 |
Cincinnati |
|
1906 | Harry Davis | 12 |
Philadelphia | 1906 | 12 |
Brooklyn |
|
1907 | Harry Davis | 8 |
Philadelphia | 1907 | 10 |
Boston |
|
1908 | Sam Crawford | 7 |
Detroit | 1908 | 12 |
Brooklyn |
|
1909 | Ty Cobb | 9 |
Detroit | 1909 | 7 |
New York |
|
1910 | Jake Stahl | 10 |
Boston | 1910 | 10 |
Boston |
|
Chicago |
|||||||
1911 | Home Run Baker | 11 |
Philadelphia | 1911 | 21 |
Chicago |
|
1912 | Home Run Baker | 10 |
Philadelphia | 1912 | 14 |
Chicago |
|
Tris Speaker | Boston | ||||||
1913 | Home Run Baker | 12 |
Philadelphia | 1913 | 19 |
Philadelphia |
|
1914 | Home Run Baker | 9 |
Philadelphia | 1914 | 19 |
Philadelphia |
|
1915 | Braggo Roth | 7 |
Chicago | 1915 | 24 |
Philadelphia |
|
Cleveland | |||||||
1916 | Wally Pipp | 12 |
New York | 1916 | 12 |
New York |
|
Chicago |
|||||||
1917 | Wally Pipp | 9 |
New York | 1917 | 12 |
Philadelphia |
|
New York |
|||||||
1918 | Babe Ruth | 11 |
Boston | 1918 | 8 |
Philadelphia |
|
Tilly Walker | Philadelphia | ||||||
1919 | Babe Ruth | 29 |
Boston | 1919 | 12 |
Philadelphia |
|
1920 | Babe Ruth | 54 |
New York | 1920 | 15 |
Philadelphia |
|
1921 | Babe Ruth | 59 |
New York | 1921 | 23 |
New York |
|
1922 | Ken Williams | 39 |
St. Louis | 1922 | 42 |
St. Louis |
|
1923 | Babe Ruth | 41 |
New York | 1923 | 41 |
Philadelphia |
|
1924 | Babe Ruth | 46 |
New York | 1924 | 27 |
Brooklyn |
|
1925 | Bob Meusel | 33 |
New York | 1925 | 39 |
St. Louis |
|
1926 | Babe Ruth | 47 |
New York | 1926 | 21 |
Chicago |
|
1927 | Babe Ruth | 60 |
New York | 1927 | 30 |
Philadelphia |
|
Chicago |
|||||||
1928 | Babe Ruth | 54 |
New York | 1928 | 31 |
St. Louis |
|
Chicago |
|||||||
1929 | Babe Ruth | 46 |
New York | 1929 | 43 |
Philadelphia |
|
1930 | Babe Ruth | 49 |
New York | 1930 | 56 |
Chicago |
|
1931 | Lou Gehrig | 46 |
New York | 1931 | 31 |
Philadelphia |
|
Babe Ruth | New York | ||||||
1932 | Jimmie Foxx | 58 |
Philadelphia | 1932 | 38 |
Philadelphia |
|
New York |
|||||||
1933 | Jimmie Foxx | 48 |
Philadelphia | 1933 | 28 |
Philadelphia |
|
1934 | Lou Gehrig | 49 |
New York | 1934 | 35 |
St. Louis |
|
New York |
|||||||
1935 | Jimmie Foxx | 36 |
Philadelphia | 1935 | 34 |
Boston |
|
Hank Greenberg | Detroit | ||||||
1936 | Lou Gehrig | 49 |
New York | 1936 | 33 |
New York |
|
1937 | Joe DiMaggio | 46 |
New York | 1937 | 31 |
St. Louis |
|
New York |
|||||||
1938 | Hank Greenberg | 58 |
Detroit | 1938 | 36 |
New York |
|
1939 | Jimmie Foxx | 35 |
Boston | 1939 | 28 |
St. Louis |
|
1940 | Hank Greenberg | 41 |
Detroit | 1940 | 43 |
St. Louis |
|
1941 | Ted Williams | 37 |
Boston | 1941 | 34 |
Brooklyn |
|
1942 | Ted Williams | 36 |
Boston | 1942 | 30 |
New York |
|
1943 | Rudy York | 34 |
Detroit | 1943 | 29 |
Chicago |
|
1944 | Nick Etten | 22 |
New York | 1944 | 33 |
Chicago |
|
1945 | Vern Stephens | 24 |
St. Louis | 1945 | 28 |
Boston |
|
1946 | Hank Greenberg | 44 |
Detroit | 1946 | 23 |
Pittsburgh |
|
1947 | Ted Williams | 32 |
Boston | 1947 | 51 |
Pittsburgh |
|
New York |
|||||||
1948 | Joe DiMaggio | 39 |
New York | 1948 | 40 |
Pittsburgh |
|
New York |
|||||||
1949 | Ted Williams | 43 |
Boston | 1949 | 54 |
Pittsburgh |
|
1950 | Al Rosen | 37 |
Cleveland | 1950 | 47 |
Pittsburgh |
|
1951 | Gus Zernial | 33 |
Chicago | 1951 | 42 |
Pittsburgh |
|
Philadelphia | |||||||
1952 | Larry Doby | 32 |
Cleveland | 1952 | 37 |
Pittsburgh |
|
Chicago |
|||||||
1953 | Al Rosen | 43 |
Cleveland | 1953 | 47 |
Milwaukee |
|
1954 | Larry Doby | 32 |
Cleveland | 1954 | 49 |
Cincinnati |
|
1955 | Mickey Mantle | 37 |
New York | 1955 | 51 |
New York |
|
1956 | Mickey Mantle | 52 |
New York | 1956 | 43 |
Brooklyn |
|
1957 | Roy Sievers | 42 |
Washington | 1957 | 44 |
Milwaukee |
|
1958 | Mickey Mantle | 42 |
New York | 1958 | 47 |
Chicago |
|
1959 | Rocky Colavito | 42 |
Cleveland | 1959 | 46 |
Milwaukee |
|
Harmon Killebrew | Washington | ||||||
1960 | Mickey Mantle | 40 |
New York | 1960 | 41 |
Chicago |
|
1961 | Roger Maris | 61 |
New York | 1961 | 46 |
San Francisco |
|
1962 | Harmon Killebrew | 48 |
Minnesota | 1962 | 49 |
San Francisco |
|
1963 | Harmon Killebrew | 45 |
Minnesota | 1963 | 44 |
Milwaukee |
|
San Francisco |
|||||||
1964 | Harmon Killebrew | 49 |
Minnesota | 1964 | 47 |
San Francisco |
|
1965 | Tony Conigliaro | 32 |
Boston | 1965 | 52 |
San Francisco |
|
1966 | Frank Robinson | 49 |
Baltimore | 1966 | 44 |
Atlanta |
|
1967 | Harmon Killebrew | 44 |
Minnesota | 1967 | 39 |
Atlanta |
|
Carl Yastrzemski | Boston | ||||||
1968 | Frank Howard | 44 |
Washington | 1968 | 36 |
San Francisco |
|
1969 | Harmon Killebrew | 49 |
Minnesota | 1969 | 45 |
San Francisco |
|
1970 | Frank Howard | 44 |
Washington | 1970 | 45 |
Cincinnati |
|
1971 | Bill Melton | 33 |
Chicago | 1971 | 48 |
Pittsburgh |
|
1972 | Dick Allen | 37 |
Chicago | 1972 | 40 |
Cincinnati |
|
1973 | Reggie Jackson | 32 |
Oakland | 1973 | 44 |
Pittsburgh |
|
1974 | Dick Allen | 32 |
Chicago | 1974 | 36 |
Philadelphia |
|
1975 | Reggie Jackson | 36 |
Oakland | 1975 | 38 |
Philadelphia |
|
George Scott | Milwaukee | ||||||
1976 | Graig Nettles | 32 |
New York | 1976 | 38 |
Philadelphia |
|
1977 | Jim Rice | 39 |
Boston | 1977 | 52 |
Cincinnati |
|
1978 | Jim Rice | 46 |
Boston | 1978 | 40 |
Cincinnati |
|
1979 | Gorman Thomas | 45 |
Milwaukee | 1979 | 48 |
Chicago |
|
1980 | Reggie Jackson | 41 |
New York | 1980 | 48 |
Philadelphia |
|
Ben Oglivie | Milwaukee | ||||||
1981 | Tony Armas | 22 |
Oakland | 1981 | 31 |
Philadelphia |
|
Dwight Evans | Boston | ||||||
Bobby Grich | California | ||||||
Eddie Murray | Baltimore | ||||||
1982 | Reggie Jackson | 39 |
California | 1982 | 37 |
New York |
|
Gorman Thomas | Milwaukee | ||||||
1983 | Jim Rice | 39 |
Boston | 1983 | 40 |
Philadelphia |
|
1984 | Tony Armas | 43 |
Boston | 1984 | 36 |
Atlanta |
|
Philadelphia |
|||||||
1985 | Darrell Evans | 40 |
Detroit | 1985 | 37 |
Atlanta |
|
1986 | Jesse Barfield | 40 |
Toronto | 1986 | 37 |
Philadelphia |
|
1987 | Mark McGwire | 49 |
Oakland | 1987 | 49 |
Chicago |
|
1988 | Jose Canseco | 42 |
Oakland | 1988 | 39 |
New York |
|
1989 | Fred McGriff | 36 |
Toronto | 1989 | 47 |
San Francisco |
|
1990 | Cecil Fielder | 51 |
Detroit | 1990 | 40 |
Chicago |
|
1991 | Jose Canseco | 44 |
Oakland | 1991 | 38 |
New York |
|
Cecil Fielder | Detroit | ||||||
1992 | Juan Gonzalez | 43 |
Texas | 1992 | 35 |
San Diego |
|
1993 | Juan Gonzalez | 46 |
Texas | 1993 | 46 |
San Francisco |
|
1994 | Ken Griffey, Jr. | 40 |
Seattle | 1994 | 43 |
San Francisco |
|
1995 | Albert Belle | 50 |
Cleveland | 1995 | 40 |
Colorado |
|
1996 | Mark McGwire | 52 |
Oakland | 1996 | 47 |
Colorado |
|
1997 | Ken Griffey, Jr. | 56 |
Seattle | 1997 | 49 |
Colorado |
|
1998 | Ken Griffey, Jr. | 56 |
Seattle | 1998 | 70 |
St. Louis |
|
1999 | Ken Griffey, Jr. | 48 |
Seattle | 1999 | 65 |
St. Louis |
|
2000 | Troy Glaus | 47 |
Anaheim | 2000 | 50 |
Chicago |
|
2001 | Alex Rodriguez | 52 |
Texas | 2001 | 73 |
San Francisco |
|
2002 | Alex Rodriguez | 57 |
Texas | 2002 | 49 |
Chicago |
|
2003 | Alex Rodriguez | 47 |
Texas | 2003 | 47 |
Philadelphia |
|
2004 | Manny Ramirez | 43 |
Boston | 2004 | 48 |
Los Angeles |
|
2005 | Alex Rodriguez | 48 |
New York | 2005 | 51 |
Atlanta |
|
2006 | David Ortiz | 54 |
Boston | 2006 | 58 |
Philadelphia |
|
2007 | Alex Rodriguez | 54 |
New York | 2007 | 50 |
Milwaukee |
|
2008 | Miguel Cabrera | 37 |
Detroit | 2008 | 48 |
Philadelphia |
|
2009 | Carlos Pena | 39 |
Tampa Bay | 2009 | 47 |
St. Louis |
|
Mark Teixeira | New York | ||||||
2010 | Jose Bautista | 54 |
Toronto | 2010 | 42 |
St. Louis |
|
2011 | Jose Bautista | 43 |
Toronto | 2011 | 39 |
Los Angeles |
|
2012 | Miguel Cabrera | 44 |
Detroit | 2012 | 41 |
Milwaukee |
|
2013 | Chris Davis | 53 |
Baltimore | 2013 | 36 |
Pittsburgh |
|
Arizona |
|||||||
2014 | Nelson Cruz | 40 |
Baltimore | 2014 | 37 |
Miami |
|
2015 | Chris Davis | 47 |
Baltimore | 2015 | 42 |
Colorado |
|
Washington |
|||||||
2016 | Mark Trumbo | 47 |
Baltimore | 2016 | 41 |
Colorado |
|
Milwaukee |
|||||||
2017 | Aaron Judge | 52 |
New York | 2017 | 59 |
Miami |
|
2018 | Khris Davis | 48 |
Oakland | 2018 | 38 |
Colorado |
|
2019 | Jorge Soler | 48 |
Kansas City | 2019 | 53 |
New York |
|
2020 | Luke Voit | 22 |
New York | 2020 | 18 |
Atlanta |
|
2021 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 48 |
Toronto | 2021 | 42 |
San Diego |
|
Salvador Perez | Kansas City | ||||||
2022 | Aaron Judge | 62 |
New York | 2022 | 46 |
Philadelphia |
|
2023 | Shohei Ohtani | 44 |
Los Angeles | 2023 | 54 |
Atlanta |
|
2024 | - |
- |
- |
2024 | 1 |
Los Angeles |
|
San Diego |
|||||||
Year | American League | HRs | Team(s) | Year | National League | HRs | Team(s) |
Current Through End of 2024 Regular Season |
Did you know that Hall of Fame slugger Jimmie Foxx was the first member of the 500 Home Runs Club to hit a home run during an official night game? Too easy?
Did you know that three times in baseball history, the home run champion was traded the following year to the team that had the reigning home run champ in the other league? The "club" is made up of: Hank Greenberg (1947, to Pirates, who had Ralph Kiner), Dick Allen (1974, to Phillies, who had Mike Schmidt), and Giancarlo Stanton (2017, to Yankees, who had Aaron Judge).
In 1982, Dave Kingman of the New York Mets set the Major League record for the lowest batting average (.204) by a league leader in home runs (37)!
Who has the Major League record for most consecutive seasons leading the league in home runs? Ralph Kiner with seven straight seasons from 1946 to 1952. See dozens of additional home run records in our Record Books.