List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
In the sport of baseball, a home run is the act of hitting the ball in such a manner that allows the batter to safely reach home and score in one play. This can be accomplished both by hitting the ball out of play while it is still in fair territory (a conventional home run), or by the inside the park home run.
Hank Aaron holds the Major League Baseball home run record with 755 and Barry Bonds, the active leader, is second with 749 homers. Third is Babe Ruth with 714. Willie Mays (660) and Sammy Sosa (601) are the only other players to have hit 600 or more.
Kenny Lofton is the most recent entrant into the top 500 list with his 128th homer on June 24, 2007. Notably, this is his second separate entry into the list this season. Mike Cameron was the most recent player to reach 200 home runs on May 31, 2007; Steve Finley the most recent to 300 on June 14, 2006; and Carlos Delgado the most recent to 400 on August 22, 2006. In 2004, Ken Griffey, Jr. became the 20th and most recent player to hit 500 home runs (see 500 home run club). On June 20, 2007, Sammy Sosa was the most recent player to hit 600 home runs. Barry Bonds was the most recent to reach 700 home runs (2004).
The youngest player on the list is Mark Teixeira, 27 years old; Teixeira is three months younger than Albert Pujols. The oldest active player is Julio Franco, age 48 (who has been the oldest player in MLB since 2004, and is the oldest regularly playing position player in MLB history).
To make the top 200 (including ties) on the all-time list, a player would need 240 or more home runs, while 190 homers are needed to enter the top 300. To be the 400th best of all-time, a player would need 153. The 500th most prolific career home run hitter, however, has only 25 fewer, at 128. The last change in the cutoff for the top 500 was on May 31, 2007, when Travis Hafner hit his 128th homer and displaced four or five players, depending on the source, from the list.
Milestones
The following players reached major home run milestones in 2007:
600 career homers:
200 career homers:
- [[Adam Dunn]shity] — April 2
- José Cruz, Jr. — April 15
- Jorge Posada — April 17
- Aramis Ramírez — April 23
- Geoff Jenkins — May 20
- Adrián Beltré — May 28
- Mike Cameron — May 31
Entry into the top 500:
- Kevin Millar with his 127th career homer — April 8
- Kenny Lofton with his 127th career homer — May 20
- Lofton would be displaced from the top 500 when Travis Hafner hit his 128th career home run on May 31.
- Travis Hafner with his 127th career homer — May 23
- Melvin Mora with his 128th career homer — June 13
- Kenny Lofton with his 128th career homer — June 24
The list
Listed are all Major League Baseball players with 128 or more home runs, the current cutoff for the top 500 (includes ties for the top 500, whenever applicable). Players in bold face are currently active, with the number in parentheses designating the number of home runs they have hit during the current season.
- Template:Fnb There have been two players named Frank Thomas. The active player has played since 1990 with the White Sox and the Athletics, and is now a member of the Blue Jays. The earlier player with 286 HRs played from 1951 to 1966 with the Pirates, Reds, Cubs, Braves, Mets, Phillies and Colt .45s (now Astros).
As of June 26, 2007, three active players are within five home runs of entering the top 500, now with a cutoff of 128 career homers:
- Sean Casey (127)
- Michael Tucker[1] (125)
- Corey Koskie (124)