Home Run Proficiency: 1951-1980

Hank Aaron and 500 home run (HR) contemporaries:

Rk	Player	HR	From	To	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Hank Aaron	755	1954	1976	20-42	3298	13941	12364	2174	3771	624	98	2297	1402	293	1383	32	21	121	328	240	73	.305	.374	.555	.928	*9783D/45	MLN-ATL-MIL
2	Willie Mays	660	1951	1973	20-42	2992	12496	10881	2062	3283	523	140	1903	1464	192	1526	44	13	91	251	338	103	.302	.384	.557	.941	*8/39675	NYG-SFG-TOT-NYM
3	Frank Robinson	586	1956	1976	20-40	2808	11742	10006	1829	2943	528	72	1812	1420	218	1532	198	17	102	270	204	77	.294	.389	.537	.926	97D38/5	CIN-BAL-LAD-CAL-TOT-CLE
4	Harmon Killebrew	573	1954	1975	18-39	2435	9833	8147	1283	2086	290	24	1584	1559	160	1699	48	0	77	243	19	18	.256	.376	.509	.884	357D/49	WSH-MIN-KCR
5	Mickey Mantle	536	1951	1968	19-36	2401	9907	8102	1676	2415	344	72	1509	1733	126	1710	13	14	47	113	153	38	.298	.421	.557	.977	*8397/645	NYY
6	Willie McCovey	521	1959	1980	21-42	2588	9692	8197	1229	2211	353	46	1555	1345	260	1550	69	5	70	176	26	22	.270	.374	.515	.889	*37/9D	SFG-SDP-TOT
7	Ernie Banks	512	1953	1971	22-40	2528	10394	9421	1305	2583	407	90	1636	763	198	1236	70	45	96	229	50	53	.274	.330	.500	.830	36/57	CHC
8	Eddie Mathews	512	1952	1968	20-36	2391	10100	8537	1509	2315	354	72	1453	1444	107	1487	26	36	58	123	68	39	.271	.376	.509	.885	*53/7	BSN-MLN-ATL-TOT-DET

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 1/16/2013.

Click this link to view data and graph.  Age: figured simply as season year minus birth year, not using June 30 as a mid season break point as baseball-reference.com does.

Aaron again dominates the ages when these batters were in their late 30s.  Surprisingly, only Ernie Banks has his highest HR proficiency percentage relative to his career rating: 118% at age 37 when Banks hit 32 HR.

Ages when each had his best HR proficiency percentage over his career rating:
Aaron 37
Mays 34
Mantle 25
Mathews 23
Banks 37
Robinson 31
Killebrew 31
McCovey 30.



Next up: steroid era.