Barry Bonds holds the single-season home run record with 73 home runs in 2001. Before that, Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998, breaking Roger Maris’s long-standing record of 61 set in 1961. These numbers define an era of baseball and remain the benchmark for any discussion of extreme offensive power.
The Steroid Era and the Chase for History
Between 1998 and 2007, the race to break Maris’s record was fierce. McGwire, Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and other elite sluggers constantly pursued the 61-home-run milestone. Sosa reached 66 home runs in 1998 (second all-time) and 64 in 1999. However, subsequent investigations into performance-enhancing drugs have cast a shadow over these achievements. Bonds, in particular, was central to the BALCO investigation, though he was never convicted of perjury related to steroid use in a criminal trial.
Putting the Numbers in Perspective
To understand the magnitude of these records, it helps to compare across eras. In 2019, Christian Yelich won the National League MVP with 44 home runs. In 2022, Aaron Judge of the Yankees broke the American League record with 62 home runs, surpassing Roger Maris’s mark that had stood for 61 years. Judge achieved this without the doping accusations surrounding Bonds, allowing him to be celebrated more uniformly by fans.
Modern Records and Today’s Game
Modern baseball has seen an increase in league-wide home runs, but single-season individual records remain rare. Judge set the new standard in 2022 with 62 home runs, but Bonds’s 73 still stands as seemingly unreachable. Changes in the game—livelier baseballs in certain years, more sophisticated swing analysis, and rule adjustments—have shifted the balance between pitching and hitting.
| Player | Year | Home Runs | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Bonds | 2001 | 73 | San Francisco Giants |
| Mark McGwire | 1998 | 70 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Sammy Sosa | 1998 | 66 | Chicago Cubs |
| Mark McGwire | 1999 | 65 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Sammy Sosa | 1999 | 64 | Chicago Cubs |
| Aaron Judge | 2022 | 62 | New York Yankees |
| Roger Maris | 1961 | 61 | New York Yankees |
Can Bonds’s Record Ever Be Broken?
Many analysts doubt anyone will surpass Bonds’s 73 home runs in the near future. The current pace of play, specialized pitching, and improved defense make hitting 70+ home runs nearly impossible. Judge came closest in 2022 with 62, the best effort in decades, but he still fell 11 home runs short of Bonds’s record.
FAQ
Why is Bonds’s record so controversial?
Barry Bonds was investigated for possible steroid use during the BALCO investigation. While never criminally convicted, many fans and experts believe his 73-home-run record was enhanced by performance-enhancing drugs, making it less legitimate than Aaron Judge’s achievement.
What is the «clean» single-season home run record?
That’s complicated. Aaron Judge’s 62 home runs in 2022 is widely considered the best modern-era effort without the doping accusations surrounding Bonds and McGwire. However, some argue even 1990s numbers carry asterisks.
Has any player come close to breaking Bonds’s record recently?
No. Aaron Judge came closest in 2022 with 62 home runs. Before that, you’d have to go back to 2001 when Bonds set the record himself. Modern baseball simply doesn’t seem to allow for those extreme numbers anymore.
