YEAR-BY-YEAR LEADERS FOR HOME RUNS

Yearly League Leaders for Home Runs | Baseball Almanac

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.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"Somebody will hit four-hundred (.400) again. Somebody will get smart and swing naturally." - Home Run Leader (1909) / Hall of Famer Ty Cobb

Home Runs

Year-by-Year Leaders | '1876 - 2024'

1876

-

-

-

1876

George Hall

5

Philadelphia

1877

-

-

-

1877

Lip Pike

4

Cincinnati

1878

-

-

-

1878

Paul Hines

4

Providence

1879

-

-

-

1879

Charley Jones

9

Boston

1880

-

-

-

1880

Jim O'Rourke

6

Boston

Harry Stovey

Worcester

1881

-

-

-

1881

Dan Brouthers

8

Buffalo

1882

-

-

-

1882

George Wood

7

Detroit

1883

-

-

-

1883

Buck Ewing

10

New York

1884

-

-

-

1884

Ned Williamson

27

Chicago

1885

-

-

-

1885

Abner Dalrymple

11

Chicago

1886

-

-

-

1886

Dan Brouthers

11

Detroit

Hardy Richardson

Detroit

1887

-

-

-

1887

Billy O'Brien

19

Washington

1888

-

-

-

1888

Jimmy Ryan

16

Chicago

1889

-

-

-

1889

Sam Thompson

20

Philadelphia

1890

-

-

-

1890

Oyster Burns

13

Brooklyn

Mike Tiernan

New York

Walt Wilmot

Chicago

1891

-

-

-

1891

Harry Stovey

16

Boston

Mike Tiernan

New York

1892

-

-

-

1892

Bug Holliday

13

Cincinnati

1893

-

-

-

1893

Ed Delahanty

19

Philadelphia

1894

-

-

-

1894

Hugh Duffy

18

Boston

1895

-

-

-

1895

Sam Thompson

18

Philadelphia

1896

-

-

-

1896

Ed Delahanty

13

Philadelphia

Bill Joyce

New York

Washington

1897

-

-

-

1897

Hugh Duffy

11

Boston

1898

-

-

-

1898

Jimmy Collins

15

Boston

1899

-

-

-

1899

Buck Freeman

25

Washington

1900

-

-

-

1900

Herman Long

12

Boston

1901 Nap Lajoie

14

Philadelphia 1901

Sam Crawford

16

Cincinnati

1902 Socks Seybold

16

Philadelphia 1902

Tommy Leach

6

Pittsburgh

1903 Buck Freeman

13

Boston 1903

Jimmy Sheckard

9

Brooklyn

1904 Harry Davis

10

Philadelphia 1904

Harry Lumley

9

Brooklyn

1905 Harry Davis

8

Philadelphia 1905

Fred Odwell

9

Cincinnati

1906 Harry Davis

12

Philadelphia 1906

Tim Jordan

12

Brooklyn

1907 Harry Davis

8

Philadelphia 1907

Dave Brain

10

Boston

1908 Sam Crawford

7

Detroit 1908

Tim Jordan

12

Brooklyn

1909 Ty Cobb

9

Detroit 1909

Red Murray

7

New York

1910 Jake Stahl

10

Boston 1910

Fred Beck

10

Boston

Frank Schulte

Chicago

1911 Home Run Baker

11

Philadelphia 1911

Frank Schulte

21

Chicago

1912 Home Run Baker

10

Philadelphia 1912

Heinie Zimmerman

14

Chicago

Tris Speaker Boston
1913 Home Run Baker

12

Philadelphia 1913

Gavvy Cravath

19

Philadelphia

1914 Home Run Baker

9

Philadelphia 1914

Gavvy Cravath

19

Philadelphia

1915 Braggo Roth

7

Chicago 1915

Gavvy Cravath

24

Philadelphia

Cleveland
1916 Wally Pipp

12

New York 1916

Dave Robertson

12

New York

Cy Williams

Chicago

1917 Wally Pipp

9

New York 1917

Gavvy Cravath

12

Philadelphia

Dave Robertson

New York

1918 Babe Ruth

11

Boston 1918

Gavvy Cravath

8

Philadelphia

Tilly Walker Philadelphia
1919 Babe Ruth

29

Boston 1919

Gavvy Cravath

12

Philadelphia

1920 Babe Ruth

54

New York 1920

Cy Williams

15

Philadelphia

1921 Babe Ruth

59

New York 1921

High Pockets Kelly

23

New York

1922 Ken Williams

39

St. Louis 1922

Rogers Hornsby

42

St. Louis

1923 Babe Ruth

41

New York 1923

Cy Williams

41

Philadelphia

1924 Babe Ruth

46

New York 1924

Jack Fournier

27

Brooklyn

1925 Bob Meusel

33

New York 1925

Rogers Hornsby

39

St. Louis

1926 Babe Ruth

47

New York 1926

Hack Wilson

21

Chicago

1927 Babe Ruth

60

New York 1927

Cy Williams

30

Philadelphia

Hack Wilson

Chicago

1928 Babe Ruth

54

New York 1928

Jim Bottomley

31

St. Louis

Hack Wilson

Chicago

1929 Babe Ruth

46

New York 1929

Chuck Klein

43

Philadelphia

1930 Babe Ruth

49

New York 1930

Hack Wilson

56

Chicago

1931 Lou Gehrig

46

New York 1931

Chuck Klein

31

Philadelphia

Babe Ruth New York
1932 Jimmie Foxx

58

Philadelphia 1932

Chuck Klein

38

Philadelphia

Mel Ott

New York

1933 Jimmie Foxx

48

Philadelphia 1933

Chuck Klein

28

Philadelphia

1934 Lou Gehrig

49

New York 1934

Ripper Collins

35

St. Louis

Mel Ott

New York

1935 Jimmie Foxx

36

Philadelphia 1935

Wally Berger

34

Boston

Hank Greenberg Detroit
1936 Lou Gehrig

49

New York 1936

Mel Ott

33

New York

1937 Joe DiMaggio

46

New York 1937

Joe Medwick

31

St. Louis

Mel Ott

New York

1938 Hank Greenberg

58

Detroit 1938

Mel Ott

36

New York

1939 Jimmie Foxx

35

Boston 1939

Johnny Mize

28

St. Louis

1940 Hank Greenberg

41

Detroit 1940

Johnny Mize

43

St. Louis

1941 Ted Williams

37

Boston 1941

Dolph Camilli

34

Brooklyn

1942 Ted Williams

36

Boston 1942

Mel Ott

30

New York

1943 Rudy York

34

Detroit 1943

Bill Nicholson

29

Chicago

1944 Nick Etten

22

New York 1944

Bill Nicholson

33

Chicago

1945 Vern Stephens

24

St. Louis 1945

Tommy Holmes

28

Boston

1946 Hank Greenberg

44

Detroit 1946

Ralph Kiner

23

Pittsburgh

1947 Ted Williams

32

Boston 1947

Ralph Kiner

51

Pittsburgh

Johnny Mize

New York

1948 Joe DiMaggio

39

New York 1948

Ralph Kiner

40

Pittsburgh

Johnny Mize

New York

1949 Ted Williams

43

Boston 1949

Ralph Kiner

54

Pittsburgh

1950 Al Rosen

37

Cleveland 1950

Ralph Kiner

47

Pittsburgh

1951 Gus Zernial

33

Chicago 1951

Ralph Kiner

42

Pittsburgh

Philadelphia
1952 Larry Doby

32

Cleveland 1952

Ralph Kiner

37

Pittsburgh

Hank Sauer

Chicago

1953 Al Rosen

43

Cleveland 1953

Eddie Mathews

47

Milwaukee

1954 Larry Doby

32

Cleveland 1954

Ted Kluszewski

49

Cincinnati

1955 Mickey Mantle

37

New York 1955

Willie Mays

51

New York

1956 Mickey Mantle

52

New York 1956

Duke Snider

43

Brooklyn

1957 Roy Sievers

42

Washington 1957

Hank Aaron

44

Milwaukee

1958 Mickey Mantle

42

New York 1958

Ernie Banks

47

Chicago

1959 Rocky Colavito

42

Cleveland 1959

Eddie Mathews

46

Milwaukee

Harmon Killebrew Washington
1960 Mickey Mantle

40

New York 1960

Ernie Banks

41

Chicago

1961 Roger Maris

61

New York 1961

Orlando Cepeda

46

San Francisco

1962 Harmon Killebrew

48

Minnesota 1962

Willie Mays

49

San Francisco

1963 Harmon Killebrew

45

Minnesota 1963

Hank Aaron

44

Milwaukee

Willie McCovey

San Francisco

1964 Harmon Killebrew

49

Minnesota 1964

Willie Mays

47

San Francisco

1965 Tony Conigliaro

32

Boston 1965

Willie Mays

52

San Francisco

1966 Frank Robinson

49

Baltimore 1966

Hank Aaron

44

Atlanta

1967 Harmon Killebrew

44

Minnesota 1967

Hank Aaron

39

Atlanta

Carl Yastrzemski Boston
1968 Frank Howard

44

Washington 1968

Willie McCovey

36

San Francisco

1969 Harmon Killebrew

49

Minnesota 1969

Willie McCovey

45

San Francisco

1970 Frank Howard

44

Washington 1970

Johnny Bench

45

Cincinnati

1971 Bill Melton

33

Chicago 1971

Willie Stargell

48

Pittsburgh

1972 Dick Allen

37

Chicago 1972

Johnny Bench

40

Cincinnati

1973 Reggie Jackson

32

Oakland 1973

Willie Stargell

44

Pittsburgh

1974 Dick Allen

32

Chicago 1974

Mike Schmidt

36

Philadelphia

1975 Reggie Jackson

36

Oakland 1975

Mike Schmidt

38

Philadelphia

George Scott Milwaukee
1976 Graig Nettles

32

New York 1976

Mike Schmidt

38

Philadelphia

1977 Jim Rice

39

Boston 1977

George Foster

52

Cincinnati

1978 Jim Rice

46

Boston 1978

George Foster

40

Cincinnati

1979 Gorman Thomas

45

Milwaukee 1979

Dave Kingman

48

Chicago

1980 Reggie Jackson

41

New York 1980

Mike Schmidt

48

Philadelphia

Ben Oglivie Milwaukee
1981 Tony Armas

22

Oakland 1981

Mike Schmidt

31

Philadelphia

Dwight Evans Boston
Bobby Grich California
Eddie Murray Baltimore
1982 Reggie Jackson

39

California 1982

Dave Kingman

37

New York

Gorman Thomas Milwaukee
1983 Jim Rice

39

Boston 1983

Mike Schmidt

40

Philadelphia

1984 Tony Armas

43

Boston 1984

Dale Murphy

36

Atlanta

Mike Schmidt

Philadelphia

1985 Darrell Evans

40

Detroit 1985

Dale Murphy

37

Atlanta

1986 Jesse Barfield

40

Toronto 1986

Mike Schmidt

37

Philadelphia

1987 Mark McGwire

49

Oakland 1987

Andre Dawson

49

Chicago

1988 Jose Canseco

42

Oakland 1988

Darryl Strawberry

39

New York

1989 Fred McGriff

36

Toronto 1989

Kevin Mitchell

47

San Francisco

1990 Cecil Fielder

51

Detroit 1990

Ryne Sandberg

40

Chicago

1991 Jose Canseco

44

Oakland 1991

Howard Johnson

38

New York

Cecil Fielder Detroit
1992 Juan Gonzalez

43

Texas 1992

Fred McGriff

35

San Diego

1993 Juan Gonzalez

46

Texas 1993

Barry Bonds

46

San Francisco

1994 Ken Griffey, Jr.

40

Seattle 1994

Matt Williams

43

San Francisco

1995 Albert Belle

50

Cleveland 1995

Dante Bichette

40

Colorado

1996 Mark McGwire

52

Oakland 1996

Andres Galarraga

47

Colorado

1997 Ken Griffey, Jr.

56

Seattle 1997

Larry Walker

49

Colorado

1998 Ken Griffey, Jr.

56

Seattle 1998

Mark McGwire

70

St. Louis

1999 Ken Griffey, Jr.

48

Seattle 1999

Mark McGwire

65

St. Louis

2000 Troy Glaus

47

Anaheim 2000

Sammy Sosa

50

Chicago

2001 Alex Rodriguez

52

Texas 2001

Barry Bonds

73

San Francisco

2002 Alex Rodriguez

57

Texas 2002

Sammy Sosa

49

Chicago

2003 Alex Rodriguez

47

Texas 2003

Jim Thome

47

Philadelphia

2004 Manny Ramirez

43

Boston 2004

Adrián Beltré

48

Los Angeles

2005 Alex Rodriguez

48

New York 2005

Andruw Jones

51

Atlanta

2006 David Ortiz

54

Boston 2006

Ryan Howard

58

Philadelphia

2007 Alex Rodriguez

54

New York 2007

Prince Fielder

50

Milwaukee

2008 Miguel Cabrera

37

Detroit 2008

Ryan Howard

48

Philadelphia

2009 Carlos Pena

39

Tampa Bay 2009

Albert Pujols

47

St. Louis

Mark Teixeira New York
2010 Jose Bautista

54

Toronto 2010

Albert Pujols

42

St. Louis

2011 Jose Bautista

43

Toronto 2011

Matt Kemp

39

Los Angeles

2012 Miguel Cabrera

44

Detroit 2012

Ryan Braun

41

Milwaukee

2013 Chris Davis

53

Baltimore 2013

Pedro Alvarez

36

Pittsburgh

Paul Goldschmidt

Arizona

2014 Nelson Cruz

40

Baltimore 2014

Giancarlo Stanton

37

Miami

2015 Chris Davis

47

Baltimore 2015

Nolan Arenado

42

Colorado

Bryce Harper

Washington

2016 Mark Trumbo

47

Baltimore 2016

Nolan Arenado

41

Colorado

Chris Carter

Milwaukee

2017 Aaron Judge

52

New York 2017

Giancarlo Stanton

59

Miami

2018 Khris Davis

48

Oakland 2018

Nolan Arenado

38

Colorado

2019 Jorge Soler

48

Kansas City 2019

Pete Alonso

53

New York

2020 Luke Voit

22

New York 2020

Marcell Ozuna

18

Atlanta

2021 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

48

Toronto 2021

Fernando Tatis Jr.

42

San Diego

Salvador Perez Kansas City
2022 Aaron Judge

62

New York 2022

Kyle Schwarber

46

Philadelphia

2023 Shohei Ohtani

44

Los Angeles 2023

Matt Olson

54

Atlanta

2024

-

-

-

2024

Mookie Betts

1

Los Angeles

Manny Machado

San Diego

Current Through End of 2024 Regular Season
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baseball almanac fast facts

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.