Jim Thome and Baseball’s 50+ Home Run Club

 

Jim Thome Hit 52 Home Runs in 2002 for the Cleveland Indians (Getty)

Jim Thome made a big splash Monday popping his 600th home run.  So yesterday, Sports List of the Day checked out where he ranked amongst the top 50 home run hitters of all time.

Thome accumulated all those homers over a 21-year career where he knocked out at least 40 six times (one of those times over 50, and once he led the league).

So, who else has hit at least 50 home runs in a single-season?

Here they are.  Sadly, it’s a list  littered with alleged and admitted steroid users, especially at the top. In total, 42 times in baseball history has a player slammed at least 50 homers – but only 17 times before 1990.

1.	Barry Bonds	73	2001
2.	Mark McGwire	70	1998
3.	Sammy Sosa	66	1998
4.	Mark McGwire	65	1999
5.	Sammy Sosa	64	2001
6.	Sammy Sosa	63	1999
7.	Roger Maris	61	1961
8.	Babe Ruth	60	1927
9.	Babe Ruth	59	1921
10.	Jimmie Foxx	58	1932
10.	Hank Greenberg	58	1938
10.	Ryan Howard	58	2006
10.	Mark McGwire	58	1997
14.	Luis Gonzalez	57	2001
14.	Alex Rodriguez	57	2002
16.	Ken Griffey, Jr.	56	1997
16.	Ken Griffey, Jr.	56	1998
16.	Hack Wilson	56	1930
19.	Jose Bautista	54	2010
19.	Ralph Kiner	54	1949
19.	Mickey Mantle	54	1961
19.	David Ortiz	54	2006
19.	Alex Rodriguez	54	2007
19.	Babe Ruth	54	1920
19.	Babe Ruth	54	1928
26.	George Foster	52	1977
26.	Mickey Mantle	52	1956
26.	Willie Mays	52	1965
26.	Mark McGwire	52	1996
26.	Alex Rodriguez	52	2001
26.	Jim Thome	52	2002
32.	Cecil Fielder	51	1990
32.	Andruw Jones	51	2005
32.	Ralph Kiner	51	1947
32.	Willie Mays	51	1955
32.	Johnny Mize	51	1947
37.	Brady Anderson	50	1996
37.	Albert Belle	50	1995
37.	Prince Fielder	50	2007
37.	Jimmie Foxx	50	1938
37.	Sammy Sosa	50	2000
37.	Greg Vaughn	50	1998