The Atlanta Braves are having quite the 2023 campaign. On September 12, they made MLB history when they hit their 280th home run of the season – setting a National League record for most home runs by a team in a season. The previous record was set by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 (279 home runs).
With their two home runs on Tuesday (Sept. 26), they now have 301 home runs on the season and have become just the third team in MLB history to hit at least 300 home runs in a single season. The only other teams to do so are the 2019 New York Yankees (306 homers) and 2019 Minnesota Twins (307 homers).
The Atlanta Braves are hitting home runs at a historic rate and it’s because they have multiple players getting the job done. As of right now, there are only 22 players in the entire MLB with at least 30 home runs and five of those players are on the Atlanta Braves – including the league leader at 53 home runs.
Only 14 Teams in MLB History Have Had 4+ Players Hit 30+ Home Runs in a Season
That’s right, the Atlanta Braves currently have five players with at least 30 home runs this season – Ozzie Albies (32), Marcell Ozuna (36), Austin Riley (37), Ronald Acuna Jr. (41), and Matt Olson (53). 4 of those players (Ozuna, Riley, Acuna Jr., and Olson) find themselves in the top-10 in home runs this year.
The Atlanta Braves are just the second team in MLB history to have at least five players hit 30+ home runs in a single season and just the 14th team in MLB history to have at least four players eclipse that mark. The Braves are also the 13th team in MLB history to have at least 7 players hit at least 20 homers.
It seems like the entire Atlanta Braves’ roster is made up of home run hitters and it’s part of the reason why they’re so unstoppable this year – after all, they’re the first team to eclipse the 100-win mark this season and could be the only team if the Orioles, Rays, and Dodgers don’t end the year on a good note.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at the 14 teams in MLB history to have at least four players hit 30 or more home runs in a single season – and let’s see how many of them you can remember!
1. 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished their 1977 campaign with a 98-64 record and were first in the NL West, but lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series. They had a .266 batting average, 1,484 hits, 223 doubles, 28 triples, 191 home runs, 729 RBIs, 769 runs scored, and 114 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players finish with at least 30 home runs – Dusty Baker (30), Ron Cey (30), Reggie Smith (32), and Steve Garvey (33) – Garvey led the team with 115 RBIs. They also had three other players hit at least 10 home runs, including Steve Yeager (16), Rick Monday (15), and Davy Lopes (11).
It was the only time Garvey, Cey, and Baker hit at least 30 home runs in their career, but the second time Smith did so – he hit 30 home runs with the Boston Red Sox in 1971. All four of them would return and play for the Dodgers in 1978, but none of them would hit 30 homers – Smith finished with 29 home runs.
2. 1995 Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies finished their 1995 campaign with a 77-67 record and were 2nd in the NL West, but lost to the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series. They had a .282 batting average, 1,406 hits, 259 doubles, 43 triples, 200 home runs, 749 runs batted in, 785 runs scored, and 125 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players finish with 30+ home runs – Andres Galarraga (31 home runs), Vinny Castilla (32 home runs), Larry Walker (36 home runs), and Dante Bichette (40 home runs) – who led the team with 128 RBIs. Ellis Burks (14 home runs) was the only other player to hit double-digit home runs in 1995.
Bichette hit at least 30 home runs three times in his career, Walker did so four times in his career, Castilla did it six times (including 40+ home runs three times), and Galarraga did it five times (including 40+ home runs three times). All four players returned in 1996, but Walker was the only one who didn’t hit 30 homers.
3. 1996 Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies finished their 1996 campaign with an 83-79 record and were 3rd in the NL West – unfortunately, they were 7.0 games back from a Wild Card spot. They had a .287 batting average, 1,607 hits, 297 doubles, 37 triples, 221 home runs, 909 RBIs, 961 runs scored, and 201 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players finish with at least 30 home runs – Dante Bichette (31 home runs), Ellis Burks (40 home runs), Vinny Castilla (40 home runs), and Andres Galarraga (47 home runs). Larry Walker, who had 36 home runs the previous season, only played 83 games in 1996 – but still had 18 home runs.
The Rockies are the only team in MLB history to have four players hit 30+ home runs in back-to-back seasons – and they did it with much of the same group of guys. While Walker missed half of the season, Burks more than made up for it (plus some) with his 40 home runs after only hitting 14 home runs in 1995.
4. 1997 Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies finished their 1997 campaign with an 83-79 record and were 3rd in the NL West – unfortunately, they were 9.0 games back from a Wild Card spot. They had a .288 batting average, 1,611 hits, 269 doubles, 40 triples, 239 home runs, 869 RBIs, 923 runs scored, and 137 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players hit at least 30 home runs – Ellis Burks (32 home runs), Vinny Castilla (40 home runs), Andres Galarraga (41 home runs), and Larry Walker (49 home runs). Dante Bichette, who hit at least 30 home runs in the two seasons prior, finished the season with 26 home runs – just 14 short.
Burks, Castilla, Galarraga, Walker, and Bichette formed quite the powerful quintet for the Rockies in the mid-1990s – so much so that they earned the nickname ‘Blake Street Bombers.’ Between the five of them, they hit 985 home runs for the Rockies. Walker was the only one inducted into the Hall of Fame.
5. 1997 Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished their 1997 campaign with an 88-74 record and were 2nd in the NL West – unfortunately, they were 4.0 games back from a Wild Card spot. They had a .268 batting average, 1,488 hits, 242 doubles, 33 triples, 174 home runs, 706 RBIs, 742 runs, and 131 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players hit at least 30 home runs – Raul Mondesi (30 home runs), Todd Zeile (31 home runs), Eric Karros (31 home runs), and Mike Piazza (40 home runs). They were the only players on the team to hit at least 10 home runs, with the next closest being Greg Gagne – who hit nine home runs.
It was the only time Zeile hit at least 30 home runs in a season, but Piazza hit at least 30 home runs nine times in his career, Karros did so five times in his career, and Mondesi did it three times in his career. All four players returned to the team in 1998, but Mondesi was the only one to eclipse the 30-HR mark.
6. 1998 Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves finished their 1998 campaign with a 106-56 record and were 1st in the NL East, but lost to the San Diego Padres in the NL Championship Series. They had a .272 batting average, 1,489 hits, 297 doubles, 26 triples, 215 home runs, 794 RBIs, 826 runs scored, and 98 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players hit at least 30 home runs – Andruw Jones (31 home runs), Chipper Jones (34 home runs), Javy Lopez (34 home runs), and Andres Galarraga (44 home runs). They had three other players hit at least 10 home runs – Ryan Klesko (18), Michael Tucker (13), and Gerald Williams (10).
Galarraga hit at least 30 home runs five times in his career, Lopez did so twice, C. Jones did it six times, and A. Jones did it seven times – including 51 homers in 2005. Lopez, C. Jones, and A. Jones returned to the team in 1999, but C. Jones was the only one to surpass the 30-HR mark (he had 45 homers in 1999).
7. 1999 Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies finished their 1999 campaign with a 72-90 record and were 5th in the NL West – unfortunately, they were 24.5 games back from a spot in the playoffs. They had a .288 batting average, 1,644 hits, 305 doubles, 39 triples, 223 home runs, 863 RBIs, 906 runs, and 70 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players hit at least 30 home runs – Vinny Castilla (33 home runs), Dante Bichette (34 home runs), Todd Helton (35 home runs), and Larry Walker (37 home runs). They had three other players hit at least 10 home runs – Neifi Perez (12), Angel Echevarria (11), and Terry Shumpert (10).
Castilla, Bichette, and Walker were 3/5 of the Blake Street Bombers – Galarraga and Burks left the team in 1998. They were still able to find a fourth player to hit at least 30 home runs with the addition of Helton, who was in his second year with the team – he hit 25 home runs with the Rockies as a rookie in 1998.
8. 2000 Anaheim Angels
The Anaheim Angels finished their 2000 campaign with an 82-80 record and were 3rd in the AL West – unfortunately, they were 9.0 games back of a Wild Card spot. They had a .280 batting average, 1,574 hits, 309 doubles, 34 triples, 236 home runs, 837 RBIs, 864 runs scored, and 93 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players hit at least 30 home runs – Tim Salmon (34 home runs), Garret Anderson (35 home runs), Mo Vaughn (36 home runs), and Troy Glaus (47 home runs). Darin Erstad came close to being their fifth player – he had 25 home runs – while Scott Spiezio had 17 and Bengie Molina had 14.
It was the only time Anderson hit at least 30 home runs in a season in his career, but Glaus did it five times in his career, Vaughn did it six times, and Salmon did it five times. Glaus, Salmon, and Anderson all returned to the team in 2001, but Glaus was the only one to surpass the 30-HR mark – he had 41 dingers.
9. 2000 Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays finished their 2000 campaign with an 83-79 record and were 3rd in the AL East – unfortunately, they were 8.0 games back from a Wild Card spot. They had a .275 batting average, 1,562 hits, 328 doubles, 21 triples, 244 home runs, 826 RBIs, 861 runs scored, and 89 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players hit at least 30 home runs – Jose Cruz (31 home runs), Brad Fullmer (32 home runs), Tony Batista (41 home runs), and Carlos Delgado (41 home runs). They had three other players hit at least 20 home runs – Darrin Fletcher (20), Shannon Stewart (21), and Raul Mondesi (24).
It was the only time Fullmer surpassed the 30-HR mark in his career, but Delgado did it 11 times in his career, Batista did so four times in his career, and Cruz did it twice in his career. All four players returned to the team in 2001, but Delgado (39) and Cruz (34) were the only ones to surpass the 30-HR mark.
10. 2004 Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs finished their 2004 campaign with an 89-73 record and were 3rd in the NL Central – unfortunately, they were just 3.0 games back from a Wild Card spot. They had a .268 batting average, 1,508 hits, 308 doubles, 29 triples, 235 home runs, 755 RBIs, 789 runs, and 66 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players hit at least 30 home runs – Derrek Lee (32 home runs), Sammy Sosa (35 home runs), Aramis Ramirez (36 home runs), and Moises Alou (39 home runs). They also had three other players hit at least 15 home runs – Corey Patterson (24), Michael Barrett (16), and Todd Walker (15).
Alou hit at least 30 home runs three times in his career, Ramirez did so four times in his career, Lee did it four times in his career, and Sosa did it 11 times – including three years with at least 60 homers. Lee (46 homers) and Ramirez (31 homers) returned to the team in 2005 and both surpassed the 30-HR mark.
11. 2006 Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox finished their 2006 campaign with a 90-72 record and were 3rd in the AL Central – unfortunately, they were 5.0 games back from a Wild Card spot. They had a .280 batting average, 1,586 hits, 291 doubles, 20 triples, 236 home runs, 839 RBIs, 868 runs scored, and 93 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players hit at least 30 home runs – Joe Crede (30 home runs), Paul Konerko (35 home runs), Jim Thome (42 home runs), and Jermaine Dye (44 home runs). They also had three other players hit at least 15 home runs in 2006 – A.J. Pierzynski (16), Tadahito Iguchi (18), and Juan Uribe (21).
It was the only time Crede hit at least 30 home runs in his career, but Dye did it four times in his career, Konerko did it seven times, and Thome did it 12 times – including 40+ five times and 52 in 2002. All four players returned in 2007, but Konerko (31) and Thome (35) were the only two to surpass the 30-HR mark.
12. 2009 Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies finished their 2009 campaign with a 93-69 record and were 1st in the NL East, but lost to the New York Yankees in the 2009 World Series. They had a .258 batting average, 1,439 hits, 312 doubles, 35 triples, 224 home runs, 788 RBIs, 820 runs scored, and 119 stolen bases as a team.
They had four players hit at least 30 home runs – Chase Utley (31 home runs), Raul Ibanez (34 home runs), Jayson Werth (36 home runs), and Ryan Howard (45 home runs). They had three other players hit at least 10 home runs in 2009 – Jimmy Rollins (21), Pedro Feliz (12), and Shane Victorino (10).
It was the only time Werth hit at least 30 home runs in his career, but Ibanez did it twice in his career, Utley did it three times, and Howard did it six times – including a career-high 58 homers in 2006. All four players returned to the team in 2010, but Howard (31) was the only one to surpass the 30-HR mark.
13. 2019 Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins finished their 2019 campaign with a 101-61 record and were 1st in the AL Central, but they got swept by the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series. They had a .270 batting average, 1,547 hits, 318 doubles, 23 triples, 307 home runs, 906 RBIs, 939 runs, and 28 stolen bases as a team.
They had five players hit at least 30 home runs – Mitch Garver (31 home runs), Eddie Rosario (32 home runs), Miguel Sano (34 home runs), Max Kepler (36 home runs), and Nelson Cruz (41 homers). They had three others hit 20+ homers – Jorge Polanco (22), Jonathan Schoop (23), and C.J. Cron (25).
It was the only time Rosario, Garver, and Kepler hit at least 30 home runs in their career, but Sano did it twice in his career and Cruz did it eight times – including four seasons with at least 40 home runs. All five players returned to the team in 2020, but the season was shortened and none of them hit 30+ home runs.
14. 2023 Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves currently have a 101-56 record during the 2023 season and are 1st in the NL East – they’ve already secured their division and a spot in the postseason. They have a .275 batting average, 1,489 hits, 283 doubles, 20 triples, 301 home runs, 886 RBIs, 916 runs, and 125 stolen bases as a team.
They have five players with at least 30 home runs this year – Ozzie Albies (32 homers), Marcell Ozuna (36 homers), Austin Riley (37 homers), Ronald Acuna Jr. (41 homers), and Matt Olson (53 homers). They also had two other players hit at least 20 home runs – Sean Murphy (21), and Eddie Rosario (21).
Albies, Azuna, and Acuna Jr. have now hit at least 30 home runs twice in their career, while Riley has done it three times and Olson has done it four times. All five of these players were with the team in 2022, but Olson (34 homers) and Riley (38 homers) were the only ones to surpass the 30-HR mark last year.
Which Team Has the Most 20-HR Hitters in MLB History?
The Atlanta Braves are not only the second team in MLB history to have five players hit at least 30 home runs in the same season, but they’re also just the 13th team in MLB history to have at least seven players hit at least 20 home runs in the same season – Sean Murphy and Eddie Rosario each have 21 this year.
11 other teams in MLB history had seven players reach that mark – the 1996 Orioles, 2000 Blue Jays, 2005 Rangers, 2009 Yankees, 2010 Blue Jays, 2017 Orioles, 2018 Dodgers, 2019 Astros, 2019 Yankees, 2019 Athletics, and 2021 Blue Jays. Of course, none of them were able to top the 2019 Minnesota Twins.
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The 2019 Minnesota Twins are the only team in MLB history to have eight players each hit 20 or more home runs in a single season – including Nelson Cruz (41), Max Kepler (36), Miguel Sano (34), Eddie Rosario (32), Mitch Garver (31), C.J. Cron (25), Jonathan Schoop (23), and Jorge Polanco (22).
Matt Olson Becomes 15th MLB Player Since 2000 to Hit 50 Home Runs in a Single Season — Can You Name the Others?
At the start of the 2023 season, the Atlanta Braves only had one player in franchise history ever eclipse 50 home runs in a single season – Andruw Jones, who hit a franchise record 51 home runs in 2005. On Saturday (September 16), Matt Olson broke that record with a career-high 52 home runs this season.
Olson is playing in just his second season with the Braves after joining the team as part of a five-player trade with the Oakland Athletics in March 2022. We knew he could hit home runs – he had at least 34 in three of the previous four seasons with Oakland – but hitting 52 and breaking a franchise record is tough.
He did it, though – and it only took him 148 games. While he hasn’t hit one in the three games since, he still leads the major leagues with 52 home runs and 131 runs batted in – which is seven more home runs than the next closest (Pete Alonso) and 17 more runs batted in than the next closest (also Pete Alonso).
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Only 15 Players Have Hit 50+ Home Runs in a Season Since 2000
Hitting 50 home runs is quite the accomplishment for any batter, but it’s a little extra special for someone like Matt Olson – who had never eclipsed the 40-HR mark prior to this season. He definitely skipped a level, but I guess that’s what you do when you sign a massive 8-year, $168 million contract in the MLB.
With that said, Olson has done something that we’ve only witnessed 48 times in the history of the MLB. Babe Ruth was the first to hit 50 home runs back in 1920 and he ended up doing it four times before the next batter – Hack Wilson, 56 home runs in 1930 – did so. It’s a rare accomplishment, that’s for sure.
Only 31 MLB players have hit 50 home runs in a single season. Of those 31 players, only 10 have done it more than once, four have done it at least three times, and three have done it four times – including two who did so in four consecutive seasons. Olson is just one of four active MLB players to achieve the feat.
Let’s test your modern-day knowledge of the MLB and see if you can name all 15 MLB players who hit 50 or more home runs in a single season since 2000!
1. Sammy Sosa – 50 home runs (2000); 64 home runs (2001)
Sammy Sosa had already hit 50+ home runs twice before the 2000 season started – he hit 66 home runs in 1998 and 63 home runs in 1999. He then extended his streak of consecutive seasons with 50+ home runs when he hit 50 home runs in 2000 and 64 home runs in 2001 – that’s four straight years of 50+ HRs!
He’s one of just two MLB players to achieve the feat in four consecutive seasons – the other being Mark McGwire between 1996 and 1999. Sosa almost made it five consecutive seasons, but came up one home run short of 50 in 2002. He retired after the 2007 season with 609 home runs in his 18-year career.
2. Alex Rodriguez – 52 home runs (2001); 57 home runs (2002); 54 home runs (2007)
Alex Rodriguez is the only MLB player to hit 50+ home runs at least three times since 2000 – he hit 52 home runs in 2001, a career-high 57 home runs in 2002, and 54 home runs in 2007. He came close to hitting 50 home runs on several occasions – including 47 home runs in 2003 and 48 home runs in 2005.
Rodriguez retired after the 2016 season with a .295 batting average, 3,115 hits, 548 doubles, 31 triples, 696 home runs, 2,086 runs batted in, 2,021 runs scored, and 329 stolen bases. He had at least 30 home runs in 15 of his 22 seasons and led the MLB in home runs on three occasions (2003, 2007, and 2002).
3. Luis Gonzalez – 57 home runs (2001)
Luis Gonzalez finished the 2001 season with a .325 batting average, 198 hits, 36 doubles, 7 triples, 57 home runs, 142 runs batted in, and 128 runs scored. It was quite the breakout season for the left-fielder, who had a career-high 31 home runs the year prior and never hit more than 28 prior to his retirement.
Gonzalez retired after the 2008 season with a career .283 batting average, 2,591 hits, 596 doubles, 68 triples, 354 home runs, 1,439 runs batted in, 1,412 runs scored, and 128 stolen bases. He hit at least 20 home runs in just 7 of his 19 seasons in the MLB and hit a majority of his homers with the Diamondbacks.
4. Barry Bonds – 73 home runs (2001)
You might expect Barry Bonds to be on this list more than once, but that’s not true. He only eclipsed the 50-HR mark on one occasion and it came in 2001 – when he had 73 dingers. It remains the most home runs in a single season in the history of the MLB, so I guess it made up for all the years he fell short.
With that said, he obviously came close to that 50-HR mark on several occasions – including 49 homers in 2000, 46 homers in 1993 and 2002, 45 homers in 2003 and 2004, 42 homers in 1996, and 40 homes in 1997. He retired after the 2005 season with 762 career home runs – the most by a player in MLB history.
5. Jim Thome – 52 home runs (2002)
Jim Thome finished the 2002 season with a .304 batting average, 146 hits, 19 doubles, 2 triples, 52 home runs, 118 runs batted in, and 101 runs scored in 147 games played. It’s the only time he hit at least 50 home runs in his 22-year career, but he came mightily close with 49 homers in 2001 and 47 in 2003.
Thome retired after the 2012 season with a career .276 batting average, 2,328 hits, 451 doubles, 26 triples, 612 home runs, 1,699 runs batted in, and 1,583 runs scored. He hit at least 20 home runs in 16 of his 22 seasons, at least 30 homers in 12 of those seasons, and at least 40 home runs on six occasions.
6. Andruw Jones – 51 home runs (2005)
Andruw Jones finished the 2005 season with a .263 batting average, 154 hits, 24 doubles, 3 triples, 51 home runs (led MLB), 128 runs batted in (led NL), and 95 runs scored. His career-high prior to the 2005 season was 36 home runs (2000 and 2003), but he followed it up with 41 home runs in the 2006 season.
Jones retired after the 2012 season with a career .254 batting average, 1,933 hits, 383 doubles, 36 triples, 434 home runs, 1,289 runs batted in, 1,204 runs scored, and 152 stolen bases. He hit at least 25 home runs in 10 of his 17 seasons in the MLB and at least 30 home runs in seven of those seasons.
7. Ryan Howard – 58 home runs (2006)
Ryan Howard finished the 2006 season with a .313 batting average, 182 hits, 25 doubles, 1 triple, 58 home runs (led MLB), 149 runs batted in (led MLB), and 104 runs scored. It was quite a breakout season for Howard, who was just 26 years old and was playing in his third season in the majors with the Phillies.
Howard had an impressive four-year stretch that began with his 58-HR season in 2006. He followed that up with 47 home runs in 2007, 48 home runs (led MLB) in 2008, and 45 home runs in 2009 – he also had 31 home runs in 2010 and 33 home runs in 2011. He retired after the 2016 season with 382 home runs.
8. David Ortiz – 54 home runs (2006)
David Ortiz finished the 2006 season with a .287 batting average, 160 hits, 29 doubles, 2 triples, 54 home runs (led AL), 137 runs batted in (led AL), and 115 runs scored. He came close to that 50-HR mark in the two years prior – finishing the 2004 season with 41 home runs and hitting 47 home runs in 2005.
Ortiz retired after the 2016 season with a career .286 batting average, 2,472 home runs, 632 doubles, 19 triples, 541 home runs, 1,768 runs batted in, and 1,419 runs scored in 2,408 games. He hit at least 20 homers in 15 of his 20 seasons, 30+ homers in 10 of those seasons, and 40+ homers on three occasions.
9. Prince Fielder – 50 home runs (2007)
Prince Fielder finished the 2007 season with a .288 batting average, 165 hits, 35 doubles, 2 triples, 50 home runs (led NL), 119 runs batted in, and 109 runs scored. It was a breakout season for Fielder, who was just 23 years old and playing in just his third season in the majors – he had 28 home runs in 2006.
Here’s a cool little stat – Prince Fielder and his father, Cecil Fielder, are the only father-son duo to each hit at least 50 home runs in a season in their career. Cecil hit 51 home runs (led MLB) in 1990 and hit 44 home runs (led MLB) the following year. Even cooler than that – they both retired with 319 career homers.
10. Jose Bautista – 54 home runs (2010)
Jose Bautista finished the 2010 season with a .260 batting average, 148 hits, 35 doubles, 3 triples, 54 home runs (led MLB), 124 runs batted in, and 109 runs scored in 161 games played. He was 29 years old, but it was quite a breakout year for him after only hitting 46 home runs the previous three seasons.
Bautista followed that impressive season with another 43 home runs (led MLB) in 2011 and hit 40 home runs during the 2015 season. He retired at the end of the 2018 season with a career .247 batting average, 1,496 hits, 312 doubles, 17 triples, 344 home runs, 975 RBIs, 1,022 runs scored, and 70 stolen bases.
11. Chris Davis – 53 home runs (2013)
Chris Davis finished the 2013 season with a .286 batting average, 167 hits, 42 doubles, 1 triple, 53 home runs (led MLB), 138 runs batted in (led MLB), and 103 runs scored. He was 27 years old and was coming off a season that saw him hit a career-high 33 home runs – though he clobbered that career-high in 2013.
He hit another 26 home runs in 2014 (127 games played), but was back at it in 2015 with an MLB-leading 47 home runs – he also had 38 homers in 2016. He retired after the 2020 season with a career .233 batting average, 1,160 hits, 228 doubles, 5 triples, 295 homers, 780 RBIs, and 707 runs (13 seasons).
12. Giancarlo Stanton – 59 home runs (2017)
Giancarlo Stanton finished the 2017 season with a .281 batting average, 168 hits, 32 doubles, 59 home runs (led MLB), 132 runs batted in (led MLB), and 123 runs scored in 159 games played. He was 27 years old and was playing in his 8th season in the majors, but no one expected him to do what he did.
While he hit at least 22 home runs in each of the first seven years of his career – including an NL-leading 37 home runs in 2014 – but had never exceeded 40 homers in a season until 2017. He’s still hitting home runs to this day, but injuries have limited his time at the plate. If he can stay healthy, he might do it again.
13. Aaron Judge – 52 home runs (2017); 62 home runs (2022)
Aaron Judge is the only MLB player to hit at least 50 home runs twice since Alex Rodriguez in the early 2000s. He hit 52 home runs as a rookie in 2017 – a season that saw him lead the AL in home runs, runs scored, walks, and strikeouts – but he, unfortunately, struggled with injuries over the next four seasons.
Judge came out swinging in 2022 and ended up breaking the American League record for most home runs in a single season. He led the MLB with 62 home runs, 131 runs batted in, and 133 runs scored. At 31 years old and now playing in his eighth season, Judge has hit an incredible 252 homers in 827 games.
14. Pete Alonso – 53 home runs (2019)
Pete Alonso finished the 2019 season (his rookie year) with a .260 batting average, 155 hits, 30 doubles, 2 triples, 53 home runs (led MLB), 120 runs batted in, and 103 runs scored in 161 games played – what a welcome to the MLB, huh? His impressive hitting and power is what made him the Rookie of the Year.
Alonso hit 16 home runs during the shortened 2020 season, but was back at it in 2021 with 37 home runs at 26 years old. Since then, he has been on fire – hitting 40 home runs in 2022 and another 45 home runs this season (in 144 games played). There’s a good chance he hits 50+ homers again in the near future.
15. Matt Olson – 52 home runs (2023)
Matt Olson is the man of the hour right now. He is already at 52 home runs in 2023 and there’s still 10 games remaining before the postseason begins – so he very well could reach 55 by season’s end. So far, he has a .279 average, 160 hits, 26 doubles, 3 triples, 52 homers, 131 runs batted in, and 119 runs.
Olson has proven he can hit with power in the past, but he has never hit the ball like this before. He hit 142 home runs in 564 games with the Oakland Athletics between 2017 and 2021 before getting traded to the Atlanta Braves. He then hit 34 homers in his first season with the team before his onslaught this year.
Active Players Who Could Hit 50+ Home Runs in the Future
When you consider some of the talent we have in the MLB today, it’s a little surprising to know that only four active players have hit 50 home runs in a single season. Then again, it goes to show how incredible of an achievement it is and how difficult it is to accomplish. Many have tried, but only a few succeeded.
With that said, there are a few active MLB players who have the power to join this list in the near future. For example, Shohei Ohtani finished the 2023 season with 44 home runs and he only played in 135 games. We also can’t forget about Kyle Schwarber, who hit 46 last season and has 45 so far this year.
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Other players to keep an eye on next season include Ronald Acuna Jr. (39 in 2023), Mookie Betts (39 in 2023), Mike Trout (40 in 2022), Austin Riley (36 in 2023), Luis Robert (37 in 2023), Max Muncy (36 in 2023), Jorge Soler (36 in 2023), Adolis Garcia (35 in 2023), and Marcell Ozuna (35 in 2023).
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