In Major League Baseball history, only a select group of power hitters have managed to hit 700 or more career home runs. Reaching the 700 home run milestone is an incredible achievement that signifies longevity, consistency and elite power hitting ability over the course of a player’s career.
The 700 Home Run Club
As of October 15, 2023, there are only 6 players in MLB history who have hit 700 or more career home runs:
- Barry Bonds – 762 home runs
- Hank Aaron – 755 home runs
- Babe Ruth – 714 home runs
- Alex Rodriguez – 696 home runs
- Albert Pujols – 698 home runs (active)
- Willie Mays – 660 home runs
This elite group contains some of the greatest power hitters to ever play the game. Let’s take a closer look at each member of the 700 home run club:
Barry Bonds – 762 Career Home Runs
Barry Bonds holds the all-time MLB record with 762 career home runs over his 22 season career. He hit his 700th home run in 2004 as a member of the San Francisco Giants. Some key facts about Barry Bonds:
- Played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-1992) and San Francisco Giants (1993-2007)
- 7x NL MVP
- 8x Gold Glove winner
- 12x Silver Slugger winner
- 14x All-Star
- Had a career .298 batting average, .444 OBP, and 1.051 OPS
Bonds was one of the most feared and dominant hitters in the steroid era of baseball. His route to 762 home runs was tainted by performance enhancing drug allegations, but his hitting talent and achievements are undeniable.
Hank Aaron – 755 Career Home Runs
Hank Aaron sits second on the all-time home run list with 755 career homers over his 23 season MLB career. He surpassed Babe Ruth’s longtime record of 714 home runs in 1974 while with the Atlanta Braves. Some key facts about Hank Aaron:
- Played for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1954-1974) and Milwaukee Brewers (1975-1976)
- 1957 World Series champion
- NL MVP in 1957
- 25x All-Star
- 3x Gold Glove winner
- Had a career .305 batting average and .928 OPS
Aaron was a model of excellence and consistency throughout his long career. He earned the nickname “Hammerin’ Hank” for his prodigious power. Aaron faced extensive racism as he approached Babe Ruth’s record, but persevered to become one of baseball’s all-time greats.
Babe Ruth – 714 Career Home Runs
For decades, Babe Ruth was baseball’s undisputed home run king with 714 career homers over his 22 season career. He was the first player to hit 60 home runs in a season in 1927. Some key facts about Babe Ruth:
- Played mainly for the New York Yankees (1914-1935) along with the Boston Red Sox (1914-1919) and Boston Braves (1935)
- 7x World Series champion
- 12x AL home run leader
- AL MVP in 1923
- 2x batting champion
- Had a career .342 batting average and 1.164 OPS
Ruth revolutionized baseball with his prodigious power hitting. His larger than life personality and fame made him one of the most iconic sports figures in American history.
Alex Rodriguez – 696 Career Home Runs
Alex Rodriguez hit his 700th home run in 2015, making him the latest member of the 700 home run club at that time. He finished his career with 696 homers. Some key facts about A-Rod:
- Played for the Seattle Mariners (1994-2000), Texas Rangers (2001-2003) and New York Yankees (2004-2016)
- 3x AL MVP
- 14x All-Star
- 2x Gold Glove winner
- Had a career .295 batting average, .550 slugging percentage, and .930 OPS
Rodriguez was a uniquely talented and controversial star. He served a one-year suspension in 2014 for using performance enhancing drugs. At his best, he was one of the most productive hitters in baseball history.
Albert Pujols – 698 Career Home Runs (Active)
Veteran first baseman Albert Pujols is still active with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023 at age 43. He currently sits at 698 career home runs and will soon become the 4th player ever to reach 700 homers. Some key facts on Pujols:
- Has played for the St. Louis Cardinals (2001-2011, 2022-present) and Los Angeles Angels (2012-2021)
- 3x NL MVP
- 2x World Series champion
- 11x All-Star
- 2x Gold Glove winner
- .297 career batting average, .544 slugging percentage, and .921 OPS
Pujols has been a model of excellence and consistency throughout his long career. He was one of the most feared right-handed hitters during his prime in St. Louis. Pujols is close to becoming just the 4th player with 700+ home runs.
Willie Mays – 660 Career Home Runs
Though he finished just short of 700 career home runs, Willie Mays was one of baseball’s all-time greatest 5-tool players. He hit 660 homers over his storied 22 season career. Some key facts on Willie Mays:
- Played for the New York/San Francisco Giants (1951–1952, 1954–1972) and New York Mets (1972–1973)
- 1954 World Series champion and World Series MVP
- 2x NL MVP
- 24x All-Star
- 12x Gold Glove winner
- .302 career batting average, .557 slugging percentage, and .941 OPS
Mays could do it all on the diamond with incredible power, speed, defense and hitting ability. Many consider him to be the best all-around player in MLB history even without reaching 700 homers.
Near Misses on 700 Home Runs
While the 700 home run club is exclusive, there have been some other all-time great sluggers that fell just short of 700 career homers:
| Player | Career Home Runs |
|---|---|
| Willie McCovey | 521 |
| Frank Robinson | 586 |
| Mark McGwire | 583 |
| Jim Thome | 612 |
| Sammy Sosa | 609 |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 630 |
Each of these sluggers came within striking distance of 700 home runs, but ultimately fell short. If not for injuries or abbreviated careers, they may have reached the milestone. Their home run totals still rank them among the all-time great power hitters in baseball history.
Active Players Closest to 700 Home Runs
While the 700 home run club is not likely to expand again soon, there are a few active MLB players that have an outside shot at reaching the milestone:
| Player | Current HR Total |
|---|---|
| Miguel Cabrera | 508 |
| Nelson Cruz | 453 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | 382 |
| Mike Trout | 334 |
At age 39 with 508 career home runs, Miguel Cabrera has the best chance to reach 700 homers before he retires if he can stay healthy. Nelson Cruz (453 home runs) also has an outside shot at age 42. It would take longer career trajectories for Stanton and Trout to reach the milestone.
Miguel Cabrera’s Path to 700
Miguel Cabrera seemed destined to join the 700 home run club after hitting his 500th career homer in 2019 as a member of the Detroit Tigers. Injuries have severely impacted him the past two seasons however. Some key facts on Cabrera:
- Played for the Florida Marlins (2003-2007) and has been on the Detroit Tigers since 2008
- 11x All-Star
- 2x AL MVP
- First Triple Crown winner since 1967 in 2012
- .310 career batting average and .543 slugging percentage
If Cabrera can stay healthy enough to average around 25 home runs per season for the next 4-5 years, 700 career homers seems like a realistic possibility. But more injuries could abruptly end his chances.
Nelson Cruz’s Path to 700
At 42 years old, Nelson Cruz is defying age and still producing as a power hitter. He hit 32 home runs in 2021 and blasted 15 more in 2022 before his season ended early due to injury. Some key facts on Cruz:
- Has played for 8 MLB teams during his 17 year career
- 6x All-Star
- 2x AL home run leader
- Hit at least 37 home runs 7 different seasons
- .277 career batting average and .527 slugging percentage
Cruz is 247 home runs away from 700, meaning he would need to average around 35 homers per season for the next 7 years. That seems unlikely, but he could potentially make things interesting if he sustains his production for another couple seasons.
Will Anyone Ever Reach 800 Home Runs?
While several sluggers have reached 700 career home runs, the 800 home run milestone is almost unfathomable. However, a few all-time greats did have an outside chance at reaching 800 homers if circumstances had broken differently:
- Barry Bonds – With 762 home runs, he was within reasonable reach of 800 if not for retiring after the 2007 season tainted by steroids allegations.
- Hank Aaron – Hammerin’ Hank finished with 755 home runs. Playing a couple additional healthy seasons could have given him a shot at 800.
- Babe Ruth – At 714 career home runs, Ruth could have potentially reached 800 if he had taken better care of himself and extended his career a few more seasons.
Looking at active players today, the chances of someone reaching 800 career home runs seems extremely small. Sluggers would need to average over 40 home runs per season for 15-20 years without major injuries or performance declines. The game has changed since the steroid era, making 800 home runs an even more challenging feat.
Biggest Obstacles to Reaching 800
Here are some of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of any current or future MLB slugger reaching the mythical 800 home run milestone:
- Injuries – Staying healthy enough over 20+ seasons to reach 800 homers would require an incredible run of longevity.
- Declining Power – Most sluggers start to slowly decline in their mid-30s, making 800 homers over a long career difficult.
- Labor Stoppages – Strikes or lockouts like the 2022 MLB lockout can cause players to miss significant time and at-bats.
- Lack of PED Use – Performance enhancing drugs likely fueled the totals of past sluggers. Without them, reaching 800 is unlikely.
- Different Era of Pitching – Pitching velocity and effectiveness has never been higher, making super long home run totals difficult in today’s game.
The odds seem very much stacked against any single player being able to conquer all these obstacles and slug their way to 800 career home runs. But then again, baseball has a way of producing improbable feats just when we least expect it.
The Legacy of 700 Home Runs
While 800 career home runs may not be reached again any time soon, hitting 700 lifetime homers remains one of baseball’s most hallowed achievements. The 7 players who have reached this milestone are enshrined as legends of the game.
Hitting 700 home runs requires an incredible combination of talent, longevity, health, and consistency against the very best competition. These sluggers produced awe-inspiring power hitting displays that thrilled fans for decades. It’s a select fraternity that includes Ruth, Aaron, Bonds, Rodriguez and the other members of the 700 home run club.
Even as the game evolves, hitting 700 home runs remains a mythical, almost unreachable milestone for MLB sluggers. Any player who can find their way to join this elite 700 home run club will be forever remembered among the all-time great power hitters in baseball history.