50 Home Run Club
In total, 32 players have reached the 50 home run club in MLB history and ten have done so more than once. Of these, seventeen were right-handed batters, fourteen were left-handed, and one was a switch hitter, meaning he could bat from either side of the plate. Four of these players (including two active members of the 50 home run club) have played for only one major league team. The New York Yankees are the only franchise to have five players reach the milestone while on their roster: Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Alex Rodriguez, and Aaron Judge. Ten players are also members of the 500 home run club and two of them (Willie Mays and Rodriguez) are also members of the 3,000 hit club. Ten players won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in the same year as their 50 home run season. Mantle is the only player to have earned the Major League Triple Crown alongside achieving 50 home runs, leading both leagues in batting average, home runs and runs batted in (RBI). Mantle and Maris—collectively known as the M&M Boys—are the only teammates to reach the 50 home run club in the same season, hitting a combined 115 home runs in 1961 and breaking the single-season record for home runs by a pair of teammates. Albert Belle is the only player to amass 50 or more doubles in addition to attaining 50 home runs. Prince Fielder, at 23 years and 139 days, was the youngest player to reach the milestone while Bonds, at age 37, was the oldest. Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge are the only players to hit 50 home runs in their rookie seasons.
Due to the infrequent addition of members into the 50 home run club, Baseball Digest called it "a restrictive fraternity comprising slugging elite" in 1954, when there were only six members. Of the seventeen members eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame, eight have been elected and three were elected on the first ballot. Eligibility requires that a player has "been retired five seasons" or deceased for at least six months, disqualifying four active players and two players who have been retired for less than five seasons. Some believe the milestone has become less important with the large number of new members; fifteen players joined the club on a total of 24 occasions from 1995 to 2010. Additionally, several of these recent members have had ties to performance-enhancing drugs.
Members
Year | The year the player's 50 home run season occurred |
---|---|
Player (X) | Name of the player and number of 50 home run seasons they had accomplished at that point |
Team | The player's team for his 50 home run season |
HR | Number of home runs in that season |
Career | The number of home runs the player hit in his MLB career |
^ | Denotes single-season home run record progression |
† | Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |
‡ | Player is active |
* | Ongoing season |
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- Major League Baseball single-season home run record
- List of Major League Baseball home run records
References
General
- "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Home Runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 20, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
Specific
- ^ Johnston, Joey (July 1987). "Will 50-Homer Seasons Become Extinct in the Majors?". Baseball Digest. 46 (7). Evanston, IL, USA: Century Publishing: 60–61. ISSN 0005-609X.
- ^ Smith, Claire (September 29, 1997). "On Baseball; Numbers Tell It All: 1997 Was Impressive". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
Larry Walker...missed joining McGwire and Griffey in the 50 home run club (49).
- ^ Bastian, Jordan (September 19, 2010). "Bautista belts 49th as Jays edge Red Sox". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
Bautista['s]...next blast will put him in the 50 home run club.
- ^ "Progressive Leaders & Records for Home Runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ^ "Babe Ruth Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Home Runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 20, 2007. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ^ "Ryan Howard Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Home Runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Hits". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ "Most Valuable Player MVP Awards & Cy Young Awards Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ "Mantle Eligible for 'Hall' Today". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. January 16, 1974. p. 24. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
Mantle took the triple crown in 1956 when he batted .353 with 52 home runs and 130 runs batted in.
- ^ "Mickey Mantle Named Most Valuable Player". The Milwaukee Journal. November 15, 1956. p. 20. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
Mantle, who won the triple batting crown..., became the eighth man in history to win the batting, home run and runs batted in titles in one season. [He] led the league, both leagues in fact, with a .353 batting average, 52 homers and 130 runs batted in.
- ^ "1956 Major League Baseball Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 15, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
- ^ Singer, Tom (August 24, 2011). "Plenty of duos have look of M&M Boys". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
[T]heir combined total of 115 still stands as the benchmark for teammates.
- ^ "A Short History of the Single-Season Home Run Record". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
[Maris] and Mantle...broke the record for most single-season home runs by a pair of teammates.
- ^ Carter, Bob (September 5, 2006). "Belle battled fans, teammates, self". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
In 1995,...he became the first player to amass 50 doubles and 50 homers in the same year.
- ^ "Belle is forgotten man". The Spokesman-Review. September 27, 1998. p. C5. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
[H]e became the first player to hit 50 homers and 50 doubles in 1995.
- ^ "Prince hits 50, but it's 52 he wants to 'shut up' his dad". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. September 26, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
- ^ "Baseball; Giants' Bonds Is Fastest to 50 Homers". The New York Times. August 12, 2001. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
- ^ Leonard, George K. (October 1954). "37 Stars Hit 50 Homers in Year!". Baseball Digest. 13 (9). Evanston, IL, USA: Century Publishing: 43. ISSN 0005-609X. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Not as exclusive as the "Four Homers in One Game Club" but, nevertheless, a restrictive sort of fraternity is that comprising batters who have blasted 50—or more—home runs in one season. This group of slugging elite...
- ^ "Rules for Election". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ Chass, Murray (September 30, 2001). "Baseball: Notebook; Measure of Inflation For Home Run Race". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
I think it takes some of the luster off the numbers that some of the best players established...
- ^ Schwarz, Alan (June 9, 2002). "Ideas & Trends; Scoring Hits, Runs and Asterisks". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
Where 50 home runs in a season once meant something (just 18 players did it before 1995), 16 have since...
- ^ Krawczynski, Jon (October 2, 2010). "Bautista's homer binge brings questions". USA Today. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
McGwire has admitted to using steroids during his career and Sosa and Bonds have been dogged by allegations.
- ^ Bloom, Barry M. (December 13, 2007). "Mitchell Report proposes solutions". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ Kepner, Tyler (February 9, 2009). "Rodriguez Admits to Use of Performance Enhancers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ Schmidt, Michael S. (July 30, 2009). "Ortiz and Ramirez Said to Be on 2003 Doping List". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ "Hack Wilson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
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- ^ "Ralph Kiner Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
- ^ "Willie Mays Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 13, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Mickey Mantle Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Roger Maris Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "George Foster Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Cecil Fielder Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Albert Belle Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Brady Anderson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Mark McGwire Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
- ^ "Ken Griffey Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Greg Vaughn Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Sammy Sosa Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
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- ^ "Luis Gonzalez Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on August 1, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Barry Bonds Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Jim Thome Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Andruw Jones Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "David Ortiz Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Prince Fielder Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Jose Bautista Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Chris Davis Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on September 11, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
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- ^ "Giancarlo Stanton Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ "Aaron Judge Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
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