Some players rack up a lot of home runs every season, and some of those players have been consistent doing that throughout their entire careers. Here we take a look at current active players, and who has the most at-bats per home run. These are the guys who hit one home run about every three or four games. If you think about that, and how hard it is to not only make contact, but to hit the ball over the fence, and it’s pretty insane. Here we go….
1. Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox (13.60)—Okay, Barry Bonds, with a 12.90 mark, hasn’t officially retired, but you’re kidding yourself if you think he’ll play again. Meanwhile, Jim Thome has maintained a torrid pace since breaking in with the Indians in 1991. What’s most baffling about Jim Thome though, is how a guy with 521 lifetime homers has never won an MVP Award. Thome’s 2002 season (52 homers, 118 RBI, .304 batting average) was good for seventh place in AL MVP voting. Huh?
2. Adam Dunn, Cincinnati Reds (14.10)—Some day, Adam Dunn is going to hit a ball further than anyone has ever hit a ball. The guy is only 28, and he’s hit 40 or more homers the last four seasons and is on pace to do it again. He’s also built like a football player at 6’6” and 275 lbs.
3. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (14.20)—If anything sums up A-Rod’s career, it’s this. Here he ranks third on the active list, hitting a home run every 14 times up or so. In the postseason, that number jumps to 21, putting A-Rod in Scott Rolen/Shawn Green/Brian Giles territory.
4. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (14.40)—If Albert stays healthy, he’s a lock for 600 homers. Dude is two shy of 300 at the age of 28. Think about that.
5. Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox (14.50)—Remember that grand slam Manny hit against Dennis Eckersley in 1994? The one where Eckersley was captured in video as saying “Wow?” Well, ol’ Manny has been doing that now for 16 seasons.
6. Ken Griffey, Jr., Cincinnati Reds (15.10)—It’s too bad Griffey couldn’t stay healthy during his time with the Reds, because if he did, Big Head Barry would not be the all-time home run king. Griffey might still pass Bonds, but he’s 38 and losing just a bit of bat speed.
7. Carlos Delgado, New York Mets (15.50)—During a nine-year stretch between 1998 and 2006, Carlos did not have less than 32 homers in a single season. That’s nine seasons, and that’s damn consistent. And did anyone see what this guy did yesterday? Two homers and nine RBI, the latter being a Mets’ record for one game.
8. Frank Thomas, Oakland Athletics (15.60)—You don’t get the nickname “The Big Hurt” because you bunt your way on for a hit. Thomas may have lost a bit of his power stroke, but he’s still one of the most imposing figures at home plate.
9. David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (15.90)—Can anyone tell me how the Twins let Big Papi go? Amazingly, here’s another guy never to win an MVP, but look at his last four seasons’ homer-RBI-average output: 2004 (41-139-.301), 2005 (47-148-.300), 2006 (54-137-.287) and 2007 (35-117-.332).
10. Jason Giambi, New York Yankees (16.00)—Is it safe to take away 50 of Giambi’s 381 career homers? If so, he goes from being Jason Giambi to being Alfonso Soriano or Paul Konerko. Is that worth $23 million a season?
Source: Baseball Reference
