The home run leaders since 2017 are surprising at best. Each player’s home run is enough for people to witness one of the most thrilling moments in a baseball game. The all-time home run record in a season is 73, held by Barry Bonds in 2001. But before Bonds, there was a home run chase in 1998 that was between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris kicked off the Expansion Era in 1961 with their home run race. Ultimately, Maris took the crown with 61 home runs while an injury limited Mantle to 54.
Editors note: Stats are from Wednesday, September 28.
Home Run Leaders Since 2017
Kyle Schwarber & Mike Trout179
It’s hard to believe that Kyle Schwarber and Mike Trout have hit the same number of home runs. From 2017 through 2019, Schwarber hit .234 with a strikeout rate of 27.8 percent, even though he averaged 31 home runs and 71 RBI during that span. Flash forward to today as Schwarber now has 42 home runs in 2022. He has a comfortable lead on his competitors for the National League home run title as he owns the second-highest home run total in the majors. Last season, Schwarber batted a combined .266 with 32 home runs, 71 RBI and a .928 OPS in 113 games with the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox. Before his injury, Schwarber tied the record for home runs over spans of two, five, ten, and 18 games. Sosa (1998) and Bonds (2001) are the only other players to match Schwarber’s run.
Mike Trout, a three-time AL MVP, is in the 12th season of his career with an average of .303, 347 home runs and 893 RBI. When he won his third MVP award in 2019, he called it his best offensively, hitting a career-high 45 homers while leading the majors in on-base percentage. He also led the American League in slugging percentage as he hit .291/.438/.645 with 104 RBI, 110 runs and 11 stolen bases. This season, he became the ninth player in league history to homer in seven or more straight games, which is one game shy of the record.
Eugenio Suarez186
Eugenio Suárez was a shining example for the Cincinnati Reds. He was named to the All-Star Game in 2018, finishing the season leading the Reds with 36 home runs and 104 RBI. In 2021, Suarez hit 31 home runs, with his batting average falling dramatically, batting a major league worst .198. Suárez bounced back when he was traded to the Seattle Mariners with Jesse Winker. The third baseman has hit .235/.335/.470 with 31 home runs over 590 plate appearances, translating to a 133 OPS+ and a 135 wRC+. Despite leading the league in strikeouts, Suarez crushes the ball when he makes contact. His 12% walk rate is in the 90th percentile of all players.
Nolan Arenado188
Nolan Arenado hit .293 with a .890 OPS, 290 home runs, and 928 RBI in eight seasons with the Colorado Rockies. The six-time All-Star brought an incredible individual resume to the St. Louis Cardinals, with eight Gold Gloves and four Silver Slugger awards. However, he’s reached the 30 home run/100 RBI mark in seven straight full seasons, missing it once in the shortened 2020 season. Arenado is the only infielder to win the Gold Glove Award in his first nine seasons.
Aaron Judge214
Aaron Judge had a record-breaking rookie season in 2017. Since then, Judge has been a monster at the plate. While he finished fourth in American League MVP voting in 2021, he did win the Silver Slugger Award after hitting .287/.373/.544 with 39 home runs. Although, this year is much different than years past. Judge is one home run shy of tying the American League home record as he’s one of six players to hit 60 home runs in MLB history. The 30-year-old is hitting .314/.425/.693 with 60 home runs and 128 RBI.
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Players mentioned:
Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Maris, Kyle Schwarber, Mike Trout, Eugenio Suarez, Jesse Winker, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Judge