Most Home Runs in a Season: Leaders & Records

Single Season

Includes the 2026 season through October 9, 2026

This board follows the record MLB adopted in 2024, when the statistics of the seven recognised Negro Leagues (1920–1948) became part of the official record. Because a Negro Leagues season ran roughly 69 games to the American and National Leagues’ 149, the career qualification is prorated from 3,000 at-bats to 1,389 for careers played mainly in those leagues, and from 400 plate appearances to 185 for a single Negro Leagues season. The all-time AL & NL board uses the traditional 3,000-at-bat rule and excludes Negro Leagues records.

As of October 9, 2026, the single-season leader in Home Runs is Barry Bonds (2001) with 73. Mark McGwire (1998) is second with 70 and Sammy Sosa (1998) is third with 66. This page ranks the top 100 seasons in Home Runs.

HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.

Data updated

Barry Bonds holds the MLB single-season home run record with 73 home runs in 2001, ahead of Mark McGwire (70 in 1998) and Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998).

Rankings cover the top 100 seasons in MLB history.

Top 10 HR

Single Season. Click a bar to view the player.

Most Home Runs in a Season: Leaders & Records (AL/NL + Negro Leagues Combined)
Rank Player Year Team HR
1 Barry Bonds 2001 SFN 73
2 Mark McGwire 1998 SLN 70
3 Sammy Sosa 1998 CHN 66
4 Mark McGwire 1999 SLN 65
5 Sammy Sosa 2001 CHN 64
6 Sammy Sosa 1999 CHN 63
7 Aaron Judge 2022 NYA 62
8 Roger Maris 1961 NYA 61
T-9 Cal Raleigh 2025 SEA 60
T-9 Babe Ruth 1927 NYA 60
T-11 Babe Ruth 1921 NYA 59
T-11 Giancarlo Stanton 2017 MIA 59
T-13 Jimmie Foxx 1932 PHA 58
T-13 Hank Greenberg 1938 DET 58
T-13 Ryan Howard 2006 PHI 58
T-13 Aaron Judge 2024 NYA 58
T-13 Mark McGwire 1997 2 teams 58
T-18 Luis Gonzalez 2001 ARI 57
T-18 Alex Rodriguez 2002 TEX 57
T-20 Ken Griffey 1997 SEA 56
T-20 Ken Griffey 1998 SEA 56
T-20 Kyle Schwarber 2025 PHI 56
T-20 Hack Wilson 1930 CHN 56
24 Shohei Ohtani 2025 LAN 55
T-25 Jose Bautista 2010 TOR 54
T-25 Ralph Kiner 1949 PIT 54
T-25 Mickey Mantle 1961 NYA 54
T-25 Shohei Ohtani 2024 LAN 54
T-25 Matt Olson 2023 ATL 54
T-25 David Ortiz 2006 BOS 54
T-25 Alex Rodriguez 2007 NYA 54
T-25 Babe Ruth 1920 NYA 54
T-25 Babe Ruth 1928 NYA 54
T-34 Pete Alonso 2019 NYN 53
T-34 Chris Davis 2013 BAL 53
T-34 Aaron Judge 2025 NYA 53
T-37 George Foster 1977 CIN 52
T-37 Aaron Judge 2017 NYA 52
T-37 Mickey Mantle 1956 NYA 52
T-37 Willie Mays 1965 SFN 52
T-37 Mark McGwire 1996 OAK 52
T-37 Alex Rodriguez 2001 TEX 52
T-37 Jim Thome 2002 CLE 52
T-44 Cecil Fielder 1990 DET 51
T-44 Andruw Jones 2005 ATL 51
T-44 Ralph Kiner 1947 PIT 51
T-44 Willie Mays 1955 NY1 51
T-44 Johnny Mize 1947 NY1 51
T-49 Brady Anderson 1996 BAL 50
T-49 Albert Belle 1995 CLE 50
T-49 Prince Fielder 2007 MIL 50
T-49 Jimmie Foxx 1938 BOS 50
T-49 Sammy Sosa 2000 CHN 50
T-49 Greg Vaughn 1998 SDN 50
T-55 Albert Belle 1998 CHA 49
T-55 Barry Bonds 2000 SFN 49
T-55 Andre Dawson 1987 CHN 49
T-55 Lou Gehrig 1934 NYA 49
T-55 Lou Gehrig 1936 NYA 49
T-55 Shawn Green 2001 LAN 49
T-55 Ken Griffey 1996 SEA 49
T-55 Todd Helton 2001 COL 49
T-55 Harmon Killebrew 1964 MIN 49
T-55 Harmon Killebrew 1969 MIN 49
T-55 Ted Kluszewski 1954 CIN 49
T-55 Willie Mays 1962 SFN 49
T-55 Mark McGwire 1987 OAK 49
T-55 Albert Pujols 2006 SLN 49
T-55 Frank Robinson 1966 BAL 49
T-55 Babe Ruth 1930 NYA 49
T-55 Sammy Sosa 2002 CHN 49
T-55 Eugenio Suarez 2019 CIN 49
T-55 Eugenio Suarez 2025 2 teams 49
T-55 Jim Thome 2001 CLE 49
T-55 Larry Walker 1997 COL 49
T-76 Albert Belle 1996 CLE 48
T-76 Adrian Beltre 2004 LAN 48
T-76 Khris Davis 2018 OAK 48
T-76 Jimmie Foxx 1933 PHA 48
T-76 Ken Griffey 1999 SEA 48
T-76 Vladimir Guerrero 2021 TOR 48
T-76 Frank Howard 1969 WS2 48
T-76 Ryan Howard 2008 PHI 48
T-76 Harmon Killebrew 1962 MIN 48
T-76 Dave Kingman 1979 CHN 48
T-76 Salvador Perez 2021 KCA 48
T-76 Alex Rodriguez 2005 NYA 48
T-76 Mike Schmidt 1980 PHI 48
T-76 Jorge Soler 2019 KCA 48
T-76 Willie Stargell 1971 PIT 48
T-91 Hank Aaron 1971 ATL 47
T-91 Jeff Bagwell 2000 HOU 47
T-91 Ernie Banks 1958 CHN 47
T-91 George Bell 1987 TOR 47
T-91 Cody Bellinger 2019 LAN 47
T-91 Chris Davis 2015 BAL 47
T-91 Andres Galarraga 1996 COL 47
T-91 Lou Gehrig 1927 NYA 47
T-91 Troy Glaus 2000 ANA 47
T-91 Juan Gonzalez 1996 TEX 47

Reading the single-season Home Runs board (combined view)

The board ends at rank T-91 with Juan Gonzalez at 47 in 1996. Every decade from the 1920s to the 2020s appears in the era filter; the 2000s appear most often. The top ten leans toward the 1990s. The board repeats several players, among them Mark McGwire (1998, 1999, 1997, 1996, and 1987), Sammy Sosa (1998, 2001, 1999, 2000, and 2002), and Aaron Judge (2022, 2024, 2025, and 2017). NYA is the most common entry in the Team column. At 49, Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Andre Dawson, and Lou Gehrig and others are tied at T-55. At the top of the table is Barry Bonds, with 73 in 2001. Mark McGwire is next at 70 in 1998. No Negro Leagues entry reaches this board even with the prorated qualification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the most home runs in a season?
Barry Bonds — 73 home runs in 2001. Next are Mark McGwire (70 in 1998) and Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998).
How many home runs did Barry Bonds hit in 2001?
Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs for SFN in 2001 — the highest mark on this leaderboard.
Who else ranks in the top 5 for home runs in a season?
1. Barry Bonds (73 in 2001); 2. Mark McGwire (70 in 1998); 3. Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998); 4. Mark McGwire (65 in 1999); 5. Sammy Sosa (64 in 2001).
How many seasons are ranked on this leaderboard?
This page lists the top 100 seasons by home runs in a season, from Barry Bonds at 73 down to Juan Gonzalez at 47.