How Many Baseball Players Have Hit 500 Home Runs?

Many baseball fans know that only a handful of players have hit 500 home runs in their careers. But how many players have actually accomplished this feat? We did a little research to find out.

Introduction

In baseball, a home run is a hit in which the batter scores by running all the way around the bases, ending at home plate, and scoring on a play in which the batter hits the ball into fair territory and is safe on base before a fielder can put him out. A home run hit with all bases unloaded (i.e., no other runner(s) on base at the time of the hit) is called a grand slam. Home runs are sometimes also called “dingers”, “homers” or “taters”. Umpires call home runs “markers”.

Theability to hit home runs has been an important part of baseball since 1900, when players such as Babe Ruth and Cap Anson began to hold hitting for power as an important skill for batters; prior to that time, batting average was considered to be the primary measure of a player’s hitting ability. In modern times, players who consistently hit 30 or more homers per season are said to have achieved “power hitter” status.

A look at the history of 500 home run hitters

In baseball, hitting 500 home runs is a milestone that only the greatest players achieve. As of 2019, there have been 27 players who have reached this mark. This article takes a look at the history of 500 home run hitters, from the first player to reach the milestone to the most recent.

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth is one of the most iconic baseball players of all time. He played for 22 seasons, spending the majority of his career with the New York Yankees. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, and his accomplishments on the field are a big reason why.

Ruth first broke into the Major Leagues in 1914, with the Boston Red Sox. He played there for eight seasons, winning three World Series titles. In 1918, he set a then-record by hitting 29 home runs. But it was just a preview of what was to come.

In 1920, Ruth was sold to the Yankees, where he would spend the next 15 seasons. It was there that he would establish himself as one of the greatest power hitters in baseball history. In 1921, he set a single-season record by hitting 59 home runs. The record would stand for 34 years until it was broken by Hank Aaron. Ruth would go on to hit 500 home runs in his career, a mark that was not reached again until 1973 when Aaron did it.

Ruth retired from baseball in 1935 and passed away in 1948. His legacy as one of baseball’s all-time greats lives on to this day.

Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron is a retired American baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He still holds many MLB batting records, including the most career hits (3,771), the most home runs in a season (40 in 1971), and the most career runs batted in (RBIs) (2,297).Aaron was born and raised in and around Mobile, Alabama. He played for several Negro league baseball teams until he started his professional baseball career with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro leagues in 1952. He also played minor league baseball for various teams before finally being called up to the major leagues by the Milwaukee Braves in 1954.

When he debuted in the major leagues, Aaron was facing considerable racial prejudice. He was subject to death threats and received few opportunities to play. In 1957, Aaron became only the second black player to be selected to play in an All-Star Game. Over time, he proved himself as a hitter and won five Gold Glove Awards while playing mostly for the Braves. In 1975, he surpassed Babe Ruth’s all-time record for home runs; one year later, he became MLB’s all-time RBI leader.

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds is widely considered to be the best hitter in baseball history. He currently holds the all-time record for most home runs with 762. He also holds the single-season home run record with 73, which he set in 2001.

Bonds was born in 1964 in Riverside, California. His father, Bobby Bonds, was a professional baseball player who also played for the Giants. His godfather is none other than Willie Mays, one of the greatest players of all time.

Bonds played baseball at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California before attending college at Arizona State University. He was then drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 1985 MLB Draft.

Bonds made his major league debut with the Pirates in 1986 and quickly established himself as one of the top players in baseball. He won his first National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1990 and went on to win a total of seven MVP Awards (a record he shares with Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth).

In 1992, Bonds left Pittsburgh to sign a free agent contract with his hometown Giants. He would spend the next 15 seasons with San Francisco, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.

Bonds retired from baseball after the 2007 season. In 2013, he was convicted of obstruction of justice related to a steroids investigation. However, he has always maintained his innocence and many believe that he is still one of the greatest players in history regardless of his involvement with steroids.

Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez is one of only 27 players in Major League Baseball history to have hit 500 or more home runs in their careers. He accomplished the feat on August 4, 2007, when he hit a home run off of pitcher Joel Pineiro of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Rodriguez is also the youngest player to ever reach 500 home runs, doing so at the age of 28 years and 8 days.

Rodriguez began his Major League career with the Seattle Mariners in 1994, making his debut at the age of 18. He played with the Mariners for 7 seasons before being traded to the Texas Rangers prior to the start of the 2001 season. Rodriguez spent 3 seasons with the Rangers before signing a free agent contract with the New York Yankees prior to the 2004 season. He has played 14 seasons with the Yankees and is currently still active, although he has been plagued by injuries in recent years.

In his 23-year Major League career, Rodriguez has hit 696 home runs, which ranks 4th all-time behind only Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762). He is also a 2-time American League MVP (2003 and 2005), a 14-time All-Star and a 3-time Gold Glove winner.

The modern 500 home run hitters

In the last century, there have been only 27 players to reach the exclusive 500 home run club. Babe Ruth was the first player to hit 500 home runs and from there, the list of 500 home run hitters grew. Currently, there are only eight members of the 500 home run club who are still active players.

Albert Pujols

As of the 2019 Major League Baseball season, Albert Pujols has the seventh most home runs in MLB history with 654. He is also one of only three players in MLB history to have hit 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, joining Hank Aaron and Alex Rodriguez.

Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera, who turns 35 in April, has played 17 big-league seasons. He’s a .316 career hitter with 2,665 hits, 462 home runs, and 1,628 RBI. Cabrera has won two batting titles and was the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years when he did it in 2012. A 12-time All-Star, Cabrera has finished in the top five of MVP voting nine times including winning the award twice.

He’s also a sure-fire Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible.

Jose Bautista

Jose Bautista is a professional baseball player who has played for Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He has also played in the MLB postseason for the Blue Jays. In his 16-year career, Bautista has batted .249/.378/.499 with 377 home runs and 1,036 RBIs. He is a six-time MLB All-Star and won the Hank Aaron Award in 2010 and 2011.

Bautista began his major league career as a utility player, appearing at all infield and outfield positions. He started to see more playing time as an outfielder when he was traded to the Blue Jays in 2008. In 2010, he became the first Blue Jay to hit 50 home runs in a season. The following year, he led the American League (AL) with 43 home runs. In 2015, he led the majors with 41 home runs. He has hit at least 30 home runs in eight seasons, more than any other Canadian-born player in MLB history.

Bautista is the only major leaguer to have hit three home runs in three consecutive plate appearances, which he accomplished twice: once against Matt Garza of the Tampa Bay Rays on July 26, 2010, and again against Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers on May 15, 2015. He is also one of only four players to have hit three home runs in one game on two separate occasions; Bob Horner is the only other player who has accomplished this feat more than once.

The future of 500 home run hitters

In order to hit 500 home runs, a player must be exceptionally good at hitting the ball. Some players are born with this talent, while others must work hard to develop it. Players who hit 500 home runs are considered to be some of the best hitters in baseball history.

Mike Trout

Mike Trout is one of the best players in baseball, and many experts believe he has a chance to break some of the game’s most hallowed records.

One record that Trout could conceivably break is the all-time mark for home runs. Currently, the player with the most home runs in baseball history is Hank Aaron, who hit 755 during his illustrious career.

Trout has already hit 240 home runs at just 28 years of age, meaning he would need to hit an additional 515 homers to surpass Aaron’s record.

While that may seem like a daunting task, it’s not impossible. A number of other players have come close to breaking Aaron’s record in recent years, including Barry Bonds (73 homers shy) and Alex Rodriguez ( 62 homers shy). If Trout can stay healthy and continue to produce at a high level, there’s no reason to think he couldn’t eventually become baseball’s all-time home run king.

Giancarlo Stanton

On April 17, 2017, Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins hit his 246th career home run, surpassing Gary Sheffield for the most home runs by a player born in the 1990s. Stanton is now 26 years old, and while it is still very early in his career, many experts believe that he has a good chance of eventually joining the 500 home run club.

The 500 home run club is an informal group of Major League Baseball (MLB) players who havehit 500 or more regular-season home runs in their careers. Membership in the club has long been considered one of baseball’s most prestigious honors.

As of 2019, there are only 27 members; 25 of whom were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and 2 of whom (Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols) are widely expected to be elected when they become eligible. Giancarlo Stanton currently has the most home runs of any active player, with 283.

It is generally accepted that to be eligible for consideration for membership in the 500 home run club, a player must have spent at least 10 seasons in MLB and compiled at least 3,000 hits over the course of his career. Players who meet these criteria but who have not yet hit 500 home runs are often referred to as “eligible candidates” or “possible future members” of the club.

Giancarlo Stanton clearly meets these criteria; he has already played 9 seasons in MLB and has amassed 1,241 hits. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it seems likely that Stanton will eventually reach 500 home runs; whether he does so within the next few years or further down the road remains to be seen.

Aaron Judge

As of September 2019, only 27 players have hit 500 or more home runs. Aaron Judge, of the New York Yankees, is rapidly approaching this milestone. In just his third full season, Judge has already hit 168 home runs. If he continues to hit at his current pace, he could reach 500 home runs by the end of the 2020 season.

With the increase in popularity of baseball and the introduction of new technology that allows hitters to swing for more power, it is likely that more players will reach the 500 home run milestone in the future. However, it is still a rare feat and one that will likely continue to be celebrated for years to come.