Home Runs : 1996 National League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"Maybe I missed my routine and my game so much that I was trying to rationalize reasons for getting it back. I wanted those 162 games. I wanted all the suspense of the playoff and home run races. And I honestly didn't believe baseball would bend far enough to allow the possibility of games in November. I was wrong. And baseball was right." - Paul White in USA Today Baseball Weekly (September 14, 2001)
 

1996 Home Runs Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Andres Galarraga 47 Colorado Rockies 1
Barry Bonds 42 San Francisco Giants 2
Gary Sheffield 42 Florida Marlins  
Todd Hundley 41 New York Mets 4
Ellis Burks 40 Colorado Rockies 5
Ken Caminiti 40 San Diego Padres  
Vinny Castilla 40 Colorado Rockies  
Sammy Sosa 40 Chicago Cubs  
Mike Piazza 36 Los Angeles Dodgers 9
Henry Rodriguez 36 Montreal Expos  
Eric Karros 34 Los Angeles Dodgers 11
Ryan Klesko 34 Atlanta Braves  
Barry Larkin 33 Cincinnati Reds 13
Jeff Bagwell 31 Houston Astros 14
Dante Bichette 31 Colorado Rockies  
Steve Finley 30 San Diego Padres 16
Ron Gant 30 St. Louis Cardinals  
Bernard Gilkey 30 New York Mets  
Chipper Jones 30 Atlanta Braves  
Jeff King 30 Pittsburgh Pirates  
Benito Santiago 30 Philadelphia Phillies  
Fred McGriff 28 Atlanta Braves 22
Jeff Conine 26 Florida Marlins 23
Eric Davis 26 Cincinnati Reds  
Ryne Sandberg 25 Chicago Cubs 25



The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).

Did you know that more than forty players have worn the number twenty-five for the Boston Red Sox — including Jack Clark, Denny Galehouse, Dizzy Trout and Tony Conigliaro.