MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs

This article lists the MLB all-time leaders in career home runs: it provides each player's home run totals, at-bats (AB), home run percentage, season-high, and active period.

Among those MLB players ranked in the top twenty-five in career home runs, three hit more than 700 home runs, seven hit more than 600 home runs, and all of them hit more than 500 home runs. Home run percentages for these players range between 4.5% and 9.4%. Sixteen of these players had careers lasting more than 20 years, six spent their entire careers with just one team, and three remain active.

1. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Barry Bonds

Home Runs: 762
AB: 9,847
Home Run Percentage: 7.7% (home run every 13 AB)
Season-high: 73 HR (2001)

Active Period: Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-1992); San Francisco Giants (1993-2007)

2. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Hank Aaron

Home Runs: 755
AB: 12,364
Home Run Percentage: 6.1% (home run every 16 AB)
Season-high: 47 HR (1971)

Active Period: Milwaukee Braves (1954-1965); Atlanta Braves (1966-1974); Milwaukee Brewers (1975-1976)

3. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Babe Ruth

Home Runs: 714
AB: 8,399
Home Run Percentage: 8.5% (home run every 12 AB)
Season-high: 60 HR (1927)

Active Period: Boston Red Sox (1914-1919); New York Yankees (1920-1934); Boston Braves (1935)

4. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Willie Mays

Home Runs: 660
AB: 10,881
Home Run Percentage: 6.1% (home run every 16 AB)
Season-high: 52 HR (1965)

Active Period: New York Giants (1951-1957); San Francisco Giants (1958-1972); New York Mets (1972-1973)

5. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Ken Griffey, Jr.

Home Runs: 630
AB: 9,801
Home Run Percentage: 6.4% (home run every 16 AB)
Season-high: 56 HR (1997 and 1998)

Active Period: Seattle Mariners (1989-1999, 2009-2010); Cincinnati Reds (2000-2008); Chicago White Sox (2008)

6. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Alex Rodriguez

Home Runs: 613
AB: 8,826
Home Run Percentage: 7.0% (home run every 14 AB)
Season-high: 57 HR (2002)

Active Period: Seattle Mariners (1994-2000); Texas Rangers (2001-2003); New York Yankees (2004-present)

7. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Sammy Sosa

Home Runs: 609
AB: 8,813
Home Run Percentage: 6.9% (home run every 15 AB)
Season-high: 66 HR (1998)

Active Period: Texas Rangers (1989, 2007); Chicago White Sox (1989-1991); Chicago Cubs (1992-2004); Baltimore Orioles (2005)

8. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Jim Thome

Home Runs: 589
AB: 7,982
Home Run Percentage: 7.4% (home run every 14 AB)
Season-high: 52 HR (2002)

Active Period: Cleveland Indians (1991-2002); Philadelphia Phillies (2003-2005); Chicago White Sox (2006-2009); Minnesota Twins (2010-present)

9. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Frank Robinson

Home Runs: 586
AB: 10,006
Home Run Percentage: 5.9% (home run every 17 AB)
Season-high: 49 HR (1966)

Active Period: Cincinnati Redlegs (1956-1959); Cincinnati Reds (1960-1965); Baltimore Orioles (1966-1971); Los Angeles Dodgers (1972); California Angels (1973-1974); Cleveland Indians (1974-1976)

10. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Mark McGwire

Home Runs: 583
AB: 6,187
Home Run Percentage: 9.4% (home run every 11 AB)
Season-high: 70 HR (1998)

Active Period: Oakland Athletics (1986-1997); St. Louis Cardinals (1997-2001)

11. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Harmon Killebrew

Home Runs: 573
AB: 8,147
Home Run Percentage: 7.0% (home run every 14 AB)
Season-high: 49 HR (1964 and 1969)

Active Period: Washington Senators (1954-1960); Minnesota Twins (1961-1974); Kansas City Royals (1975)

12. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Rafael Palmiero

Home Runs: 569
AB: 10,472
Home Run Percentage: 5.4% (home run every 18 AB)
Season-high: 47 HR (1999 and 2000)

Active Period: Chicago Cubs (1986-1988); Texas Rangers (1989-1993, 1999-2003); Baltimore Orioles (1994-1998, 2004-2005)

13. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Reggie Jackson

Home Runs: 563
AB: 9,864
Home Run Percentage: 5.7% (home run every 18 AB)
Season-high: 47 HR (1969)

Active Period: Kansas City Athletics (1967); Oakland Athletics (1968-1975, 1987); Baltimore Orioles (1976); New York Yankees (1977-1981); California Angels (1982-1986)

14. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Manny Ramirez

Home Runs: 555
AB: 8,227
Home Run Percentage: 6.8% (home run every 15 AB)
Season-high: 45 HR (1998 and 2005)

Active Period: Cleveland Indians (1993-2000); Boston Red Sox (2001-2008); Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-2010); Chicago White Sox (2010-present)

15. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Mike Schmidt

Home Runs: 548
AB: 8,352
Home Run Percentage: 6.6% (home run every 15 AB)
Season-high: 48 HR (1980)

Active Period: Philadelphia Phillies (1972-1989)

16. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Mickey Mantle

Home Runs: 536
AB: 8,102
Home Run Percentage: 6.6% (home run every 15 AB)
Season-high: 54 (1961)

Active Period: New York Yankees (1951-1968)

17. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Jimmie Foxx

Home Runs: 534
AB: 8,134
Home Run Percentage: 6.6% (home run every 15 AB)
Season-high: 58 HR (1932)

Active Period: Philadelphia Athletics (1925-1935); Boston Red Sox (1936-1942); Chicago Cubs (1942, 1944); Philadelphia Phillies (1945)

18. (3 way tie) MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Ted Williams

Home Runs: 521
AB: 7,706
Home Run Percentage: 6.8% (home run every 15 AB)
Season-high: 43 HR (1949)

Active Period: Boston Red Sox (1939-1960)

MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Willie McCovey

Home Runs: 521
AB: 8,197
Home Run Percentage: 6.4% (home run every 16 AB)
Season-high: 45 HR (1969)

Active Period: San Francisco Giants (1959-1973); San Diego Padres (1974-1976); Oakland Athletics (1976)

MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Frank Thomas

Home Runs: 521
AB: 8,199
Home Run Percentage: 6.4% (home run every 15 AB)
Season-high: 43 HR (2000)

Active Period: Chicago White Sox (1990-2005); Oakland Athletics (2006, 2008); Toronto Blue Jays (2007-2008)

21. (tie) MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Eddie Matthews

Home Runs: 512
AB: 8,537
Home Run Percentage: 6.0% (home run every 17 AB)
Season-high: 47 HR (1953)

Active Period: Boston Braves (1952); Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965); Atlanta Braves (1966); Houston Astros (1967); Detroit Tigers (1967-1968)

MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Ernie Banks

Home Runs: 512
AB: 9,421
Home Run Percentage: 5.4% (home run every 18 AB)
Season-high: 47 HR (1958)

Active Period: Chicago Cubs (1953-1971)

23. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Mel Ott

Home Runs: 511
AB: 9,456
Home Run Percentage: 5.4% (home run every 19 AB)
Season-high: 42 HR (1929)

Active Period: New York Giants (1926-1947)

24. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Gary Sheffield

Home Runs: 509
AB: 9,217
Home Run Percentage: 5.5% (home run every 18 AB)
Season-high: 43 HR (2000)

Active Period: Milwaukee Brewers (1988-1991); San Diego Padres (1992-1993); Florida Marlins (1993-1994); Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2001); Atlanta Braves (2002-2003); New York Yankees (2004-2006); Detroit Tigers (2007-2008); New York Mets (2009)

25. MLB All-Time Leaders: Career Home Runs - Eddie Murray

Home Runs: 504
AB: 11,336
Home Run Percentage: 4.5% (home run every 23 AB)
Season-high: 33 HR (1983)

Active Period: Baltimore Orioles (1977-1988, 1996); Los Angeles Dodgers (1989-1991, 1997); New York Mets (1992-1993); Cleveland Indians (1994-1996); Anaheim Angels (1997)

Source(s):

"League Leaders: Home Runs," MLB.com