Top 5 MLB players with 500 home runs
Since the inception of the MLB, players and fans alike have been enamored with the art of home runs. The home run is one hit that sends a ball over the fence. It can change a game, alter a series, and define a career. The greatest hitters of all time are members of the 500 home run club.
This is a rather exclusive club in the MLB, as it is a feat accomplished by only 28 men in history. The top five list is particularly fascinating, as it contains the first player ever to hit 500 dingers and a player who is still active and looking to add to his total in 2022.
Top 5 MLB players ranked by home runs
#5 Albert Pujols - 679 home runs
The only active player on this list, Albert Pujols spent the beginning of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was a nine-time All-Star and three-time MVP. During this tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols led the MLB in home runs in 2009 where he hit a whopping 47 homers. Albert Pujols would go on to spend 11 seasons away from St. Louis, where he netted another All-Star nod. He has now re-signed with the team that drafted him in 1999 and will chase the fourth spot on this list for total home runs.
Bob Nightengale reported the homecoming of Albert Pujols on Twitter.
Albert Pujols is returning home to St Louis on one-year contract. @dgoold and @katiejwoo on it.
"Albert Pujols is returning home to St Louis on one-year contract." -@ Bob Nightengale
#4 Alex Rodriguez - 696 home runs
The 14-time All-Star who played on both coasts throughout his career accounted for 696 dingers, placing him fourth on the all-time list. Alex Rodriguez is best remembered as a member of the New York Yankees, but he also spent tremendous years with the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. If not for his suspension in 2014, he could have been higher on this list, but instead he'll have to settle for 696 home runs and being one of the most famous athletes in the world today.
#3 Babe Ruth - 714 home runs
The founding member of the MLB 500 home run club, Babe Ruth has nearly as many nicknames as he does home runs. The Sultan of Swat, the Behemoth of Bust, the Big Bam, and the Great Bambino are all attributed to Babe Ruth. Starting his career in 1914, Babe Ruth was the first player to absolutely mash taters, setting a record of 714 home runs that would stand from 1935 to 1974, when it was broken by number two on our list. Without Babe Ruth and the excitement and championships he brought to the Big Apple, the New York Yankees may not be the powerhouse they are today.
As shown by MLB Stats on Twitter, nearly 100 years ago, Babe Ruth had a season that is still regarded as one of the best ever.
Babe Ruth is the only AL player ever to have a season with 40+ HR & .540+ OBP (1923).
Cast your vote now for The Bambino’s unbelievable season: atmlb.com/39HvJ0I https://t.co/n4stTrJDfk
"Babe Ruth is the only AL player ever to have a season with 40+ HR & .540+ OBP (1923)." - @ MLB Stats
#2 Hank Aaron - 755 home runs
The second place-holder signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954 and stayed with the team when they moved to become the Atlanta Braves in 1966. Henry Aaron, almost exclusively referred to as Hank Aaron, was the one to break the nearly 40-year-old home run record set by Babe Ruth and is remembered as one of the best players of all time. With a whopping 21 All-Star selections, Hank Aaron defined an entire generation of sluggers, setting the benchmark for greatness in the modern era of the MLB.
#1 Barry Bonds - 762 home runs
Barry Bonds not only has the most home runs in MLB history, he is the best baseball player of all time. The 14-time All-Star and seven-time MVP dominated the MLB as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and then continued his dominance with the San Francisco Giants. Not only does Bonds have the most dingers in baseball history, he was intentionally walked 688 times. The most-feared player in league history, Barry Bonds has set a mark with 762 home runs in his career that is not likely to be touched anytime soon.