What is a more exciting moment in baseball than a home run? Nothing.
And what’s a more pronounced home run record-holder than Barry Bonds? Nobody.
Considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Bonds holds the MLB home run record with 762, passing Hank Aaronwho hit 755 in 2007. The only other baseball player who has hit 700 or more is Babe Ruthwho follows these two with 714.
Then there’s Alex Rodriguez (696), Albert Pujols (686), Willie Mays (660), Ken Griffey Jr. (630), Jim Thome (612), and Sammy Sosa (609) who are the only players to have hit 600 or more.
And while the top five on the career home run list is made up of Bonds, Aaron, Ruth, Rodriguez and Pujols, none of these players have hit four home runs in a game (Pujols still could as he’s the only active player on this list).
What MLB players hit four homers in one game?
The only players to hit four home runs in a game and rank in the top 25 on the all-time home run list are Willie Mays and Mike Schmidt, in 1961 and 1976. Mays also ranks sixth all-time in home runs. In MLB history, there have been sixteen players who hit four home runs in a single game, with the latest being Scooter Gennett and JD Martinez, both in 2017. Let’s take a look at the full list of players:
MLB home run records
Most home runs in a game
| Player | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Lou Gehrig | Yankees | June 03, 1932 |
| Chuck Klein | Phillies | July 10, 1936 |
| Pat Seerey | White Sox | July 18, 1948 |
| Gil Hodges | Dodgers | August 31, 1950 |
| Joe Adcock | Braves | July 31, 1954 |
| Rocky Colavito | Indians | June 10, 1959 |
| Willie Mays | Giants | April 30, 1961 |
| Mike Schmidt | Phillies | April 17, 1976 |
| Bob Horner | Braves | July. 06, 1986 |
| Mark Whiten | Cardinals | Sept. 07, 1993 |
| Mike Cameron | Mariners | May 02, 2002 |
| Shawn Green | Dodgers | May 23, 2002 |
| Carlos Delgado | Blue Jays | Sept. 25, 2003 |
| Josh Hamilton | Rangers | May 08, 2012 |
| Scooter Gennett | Reds | June 06, 2017 |
| JD Martinez | Diamondbacks | Sept. 04, 2017 |
Most home runs in a career
| Rank | Players | HRs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry Bonds | 762 |
| 2 | Hank Aaron | 755 |
| 3 | Babe Ruth | 714 |
| 4 | Alex Rodriguez | 696 |
| 5 | Albert Pujols | 686 |
Predictably, Bonds also leads the career list. The seven-time MVP who set the current single season record of 73 in 2001, surpassed Aaron in 2007 with his 756th home run. Bonds is also the all-time leader in walks (2,558) who led the league in on-base percentage 10 times.
Before Bonds, Aaron had held the record since 1974, when he hit his 715th home run, surpassing Ruth, who hit 714 and ended his career with 755 home runs. While Aaron never had more than 47 home runs in a season, he was very consistent, averaging 32 per season.
Now let’s take a look at the full list of the top home run hitters in MLB history:
Top 25 MLB home run hitters of all time
| Rank | Players | HRs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry Bonds | 762 |
| 2 | Hank Aaron | 755 |
| 3 | Babe Ruth | 714 |
| 4 | Alex Rodriguez | 696 |
| 5 | Albert Pujols | 686 |
| 6 | Willie Mays | 660 |
| 7 | Ken Griffey Jr. | 630 |
| 8 | Jim Thome | 612 |
| 9 | Sammy Sosa | 609 |
| 10 | Frank Robinson | 586 |
| 11 | Mark McGwire | 583 |
| 12 | Harmon Killebrew | 573 |
| 13 | Rafael Palmeiro | 569 |
| 14 | Reggie Jackson | 563 |
| 15 | Manny Ramirez | 555 |
| 16 | Mike Schmidt | 548 |
| 17 | David Ortiz | 541 |
| 18 | Mickey Mantle | 536 |
| 19 | Jimmy Foxx | 534 |
| T-20 | Willie McCovey | 521 |
| T-20 | Frank Thomas | 521 |
| T-20 | Ted Williams | 521 |
| T-23 | Ernie Banks | 521 |
| T-23 | Eddie Mathews | 521 |
| 25 | Mel Ott | 511 |