Top 8 Home Runs NON consecutive years for individuals. Ruth passes McGwire.

Seventh of a series: 2, 3, 4, 5, ..., 10.

Top 2 Home Runs NON consecutive years for individuals. Monday, May 29, 2023

First of a series that will examine most Home Runs (HR) hit by players for years that may or may not be consecutive. Through 2022. Subsequent posts will be Top 3, Top 4, ... Top 10...

142 players are included in this study. Criteria was at least 40 home runs in at least one season and at least 200 career home runs. I figured that would give the player a chance to be well represented in the posts for the fewest years. One exception: Pete Alonso was added. Alonso had 146 career home runs through 2022, the last year of this study. Alonso hit 53 as a rookie and 40 in 2022. I thought he deserved a look...

Home Run (AB/HR) rate will be included to provide some context. It's way better than: simply staring at home run totals. Obviously it does not reflect whether a season was more or less likely to have lots of home run hitting.

Click link for the full list of 142 players sorted by SumHR, MaxHR...

If Years = NumYR, the years are consecutive in the full table.

_____________________________________

Top 22 players for 8 NON consecutive years (The six leaders have been the same since Top 3.):

qryHRtopN

Years	FirstName	LastName	SumHR	SumAB	AB/HR	MaxHR	MinHR	HRave	Max-Min	FirstYR	LastYR	NumYR
8	Babe	Ruth	415	4114	9.91	60	46	51.88	14	1920	1930	11
8	Mark	McGwire	414	3857	9.32	70	39	51.75	31	1987	1999	13
8	Sammy	Sosa	408	4584	11.24	66	36	51.00	30	1995	2003	9
8	Barry	Bonds	386	3710	9.61	73	40	48.25	33	1993	2004	12
8	Alex	Rodriguez	383	4793	12.51	57	41	47.88	16	1998	2007	10
8	Ken	Griffey	369	4418	11.97	56	35	46.13	21	1993	2005	13
8	Harmon	Killebrew	364	4360	11.98	49	41	45.50	8	1959	1970	12
8	Willie	Mays	355	4622	13.02	52	37	44.38	15	1954	1966	13
8	Jimmie	Foxx	350	4513	12.89	58	36	43.75	22	1930	1938	9
8	Hank	Aaron	348	4465	12.83	47	40	43.50	7	1957	1973	17
8	Jim	Thome	347	4140	11.93	52	37	43.38	15	1996	2006	11
8	Albert	Pujols	345	4656	13.50	49	37	43.13	12	2001	2015	15
8	Lou	Gehrig	338	4660	13.79	49	34	42.25	15	1927	1937	11
8	Rafael	Palmeiro	335	4689	14.00	47	38	41.88	9	1995	2002	8
8	Manny	Ramirez	330	4304	13.04	45	37	41.25	8	1998	2008	11
8	Ralph	Kiner	329	4327	13.15	54	23	41.13	31	1946	1953	8
8	Mickey	Mantle	325	4090	12.58	54	31	40.63	23	1955	1964	10
8	Adam	Dunn	323	4354	13.48	46	38	40.38	8	2004	2012	9
8	Albert	Belle	322	4592	14.26	50	30	40.25	20	1992	1999	8
8	Mike	Schmidt	320	4433	13.85	48	36	40.00	12	1974	1986	13
8	David	Ortiz	319	4391	13.76	54	32	39.88	22	2004	2016	13
8	Ernie	Banks	318	4666	14.67	47	29	39.75	18	1955	1968	14

The three highest were still averaging at least 50 HR ... for eight years.

Only Kiner and Palmeiro did it consecutive seasons. Kiner has by far the lowest MinHR: 23 in 1946. But Kiner led the National League 1946-1952, SEVEN years. 35 HR in 1953 but Kiner was fifth. 

Sorted on MinHR: 

qryHRtopN

Years	FirstName	LastName	SumHR	SumAB	AB/HR	MaxHR	MinHR	HRave	Max-Min	FirstYR	LastYR	NumYR
8	Babe	Ruth	415	4114	9.91	60	46	51.88	14	1920	1930	11
8	Alex	Rodriguez	383	4793	12.51	57	41	47.88	16	1998	2007	10
8	Harmon	Killebrew	364	4360	11.98	49	41	45.50	8	1959	1970	12
8	Barry	Bonds	386	3710	9.61	73	40	48.25	33	1993	2004	12
8	Hank	Aaron	348	4465	12.83	47	40	43.50	7	1957	1973	17
8	Mark	McGwire	414	3857	9.32	70	39	51.75	31	1987	1999	13
8	Rafael	Palmeiro	335	4689	14.00	47	38	41.88	9	1995	2002	8
8	Adam	Dunn	323	4354	13.48	46	38	40.38	8	2004	2012	9

Only five players have their 8th highest HR (MinHR) at least 40. Among the five Aaron has the lowest HRave: 43.50; Aaron's Max-Min is only 7: 47-40.

Best rate (AB/HR) for their eight highest home run seasons (3 players homered fewer than once every 10 AB, down from 7 players for Top 2):

qryHRtopN

Years	FirstName	LastName	SumHR	SumAB	AB/HR	MaxHR	MinHR	HRave	Max-Min	FirstYR	LastYR	NumYR
8	Mark	McGwire	414	3857	9.32	70	39	51.75	31	1987	1999	13
8	Barry	Bonds	386	3710	9.61	73	40	48.25	33	1993	2004	12
8	Babe	Ruth	415	4114	9.91	60	46	51.88	14	1920	1930	11
8	Sammy	Sosa	408	4584	11.24	66	36	51.00	30	1995	2003	9
8	Jim	Thome	347	4140	11.93	52	37	43.38	15	1996	2006	11
8	Ken	Griffey	369	4418	11.97	56	35	46.13	21	1993	2005	13
8	Harmon	Killebrew	364	4360	11.98	49	41	45.50	8	1959	1970	12
7	Aaron	Judge	220	2638	11.99	62	4	31.43	58	2016	2022	7
8	Alex	Rodriguez	383	4793	12.51	57	41	47.88	16	1998	2007	10
8	Mickey	Mantle	325	4090	12.58	54	31	40.63	23	1955	1964	10
8	Hank	Aaron	348	4465	12.83	47	40	43.50	7	1957	1973	17
8	Frank	Thomas	318	4092	12.87	43	35	39.75	8	1993	2006	14
8	Jimmie	Foxx	350	4513	12.89	58	36	43.75	22	1930	1938	9
8	Willie	Mays	355	4622	13.02	52	37	44.38	15	1954	1966	13
8	Manny	Ramirez	330	4304	13.04	45	37	41.25	8	1998	2008	11
8	Giancarlo	Stanton	298	3905	13.10	59	27	37.25	32	2011	2022	12
7	Juan	Gonzalez	297	3894	13.11	47	35	42.43	12	1992	2001	10
7	Ryan	Howard	287	3774	13.15	58	25	41.00	33	2006	2016	11
8	Ralph	Kiner	329	4327	13.15	54	23	41.13	31	1946	1953	8
8	Willie	McCovey	299	3954	13.22	45	29	37.38	16	1963	1973	11

McGwire fell behind Ruth in Top 8 HR but McGwire led in AB/HR.

Click link for the full list of 142 players sorted by SumHR, MaxHR

Look for subsequent posts: Top 9, Top 10.