Among current Major League Baseball players, Nolan Arenado had 75 XBH four straight years (’15-’18) before coming up just short in ’19 with 74. Mike Trout has three (’13-’15) and also had 74 last year when an injury ended his MVP season after 134 games. Alex Bregman has accomplished it the past two years with 83 and 80. (The next few seasons will reveal the impact of sign stealing on his performance.)
Here are the total number of 75 XBH seasons by some of the most famous players:
Zero: Eddie Collins, Honus Wagner, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente, Al Kaline, Eddie Murray and Derek Jeter
1X: Nap Lajoie, Ty Cobb, Eddie Mathews, Carl Yastrzemski (the legendary ’67 Triple Crown season), Willie McCovey, Johnny Bench, George Brett and Cal Ripken
2X: Tris Speaker (at age 23 and again at 35), Mel Ott (and two seasons with 74), Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Gary Sheffield, Larry Walker and Adrian Beltre
3X: Charlie Gehringer, Frank Robinson (and five more with 70+), Mike Schmidt and Robinson Cano
4X: Johnny Mize (missed three seasons for military service, ’43-’45), Ernie Banks, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Brian Giles (’99-’02 and never again), Chipper Jones and Frank Thomas
5X: Rogers Hornsby, Chuck Klein (every year from ’29-’33, when he averaged 91), Joe Medwick (’34-’38 and, like Klein, never again), Ken Griffey, Jr, Albert Belle (plus 73 in the strike-shortened ’94 season and 74 in ’99), Jeff Bagwell, Nomar Garciaparra (with 73 in ’99) and David Ortiz
6X: Joe DiMaggio (missed three seasons, ’43-’45) Ted Williams (missed three seasons, ’43-’45; had 73 when he hit .406 in ’41 and 72 in ’48 ), Carlos Delgado, Vladimir Guerrero and Manny Ramirez (with 74 on three other occasions)
And now the illustrious Top 10 (12 total with ties)
7X
Hank Greenberg (’34 – 96, ’35 – 98, ’37 – 103, ’38 – 85, ’39 – 82, ’40 – 99, ’46 – 78)
Hank Aaron (’57 – 77, ’59 – 92, ’61 – 83, ’62 – 79, ’63 – 77, ’67 – 79, ’69 – 77)
Rafael Palmeiro (’91 – 78, ’93 – 79, ’96 – 81, ’98 – 80, ’99 – 78, ’01 – 80, ’02 – 77)
Barry Bonds (’92 – 75, ’93 – 88, ’98 – 88, ’00 – 81, ’01 – 107, ’02 – 79, ’04 – 75)
Miguel Cabrera (’05 – 78, ’06 – 78, ’08 – 75, ’10 – 84, ’11 – 78, ’12 – 84, ’14 – 78)
Greenberg missed ’42-’44 for military service. Palmeiro had 71 before the ’94 strike. Bonds had 70 in the delayed ’95 season, 72 in ’96 and 71 in ’97.
Aaron averaged 72 from ’55-’72. Bonds averaged 76 from ’92-’04.
8X
Jimmie Foxx (’30 – 83, ’32 – 100, ’33 – 94, ’34 – 78, ’35 – 76, ’36 – 81, ’38 – 92, ’39 – 76)
Stan Musial (’43 – 81, ’44 – 77, ’46 – 86, ’48 – 103, ’49 – 90, ’50 – 76, ’53 – 92, ’54 – 85)
Alex Rodriguez (’96 – 81, ’98 – 82, ’00 – 77, ’01 – 87, ’02 – 86, ’03 – 83, ’05 – 78, ’07 – 85)
Foxx had 72 in ’31 and 70 in ’40. From ’30-’40, he averaged 80. Musial, who missed ’45 for military service, had 74 in ’51 and averaged 80 from ’46-’54. Rodriguez had six by age 27 and averaged 77 from ’96-’07.
9X
Willie Mays
(’54 – 87, ’55 – 82, ’57 – 81, ’59 – 82, ’61 – 75, ’62 – 90, ’63 – 77, ’64 – 77, ’65 – 76)
Mays, who missed ’53 for military service, had 70 every year from ’54-’66, and averaged 78 during that stretch.
10X
Albert Pujols
(’01 – 88, ’02 – 76, ’03 – 95, ’04 – 99, ’05 – 81, ’06 – 83, ’08 – 81, ’09 – 93, ’10 – 82, ’12 – 80)
Pujols, who like ARod reached six times by age 27, had 71 in ’07 and 66 in ’11 (the two years he came up short), and averaged 83 from ’01-’12.
11X
Lou Gehrig
(’26 – 83, ’27 – 117, ’28 – 87, ’29 – 77, ’30 – 100, ’31 – 92, ’32 – 85, ’33 – 85, ’34 – 95, ’36 – 93, ’37 – 83)
Babe Ruth
(’19 – 75, ’20 – 99, ’21 – 119, ’23 – 99, ’24 – 92, ’26 – 82, ’27 – 97, ’28 – 91, ’29 – 78, ’30 – 86, ’31 – 80)
From ’26-’37, Gehrig averaged 89. Ruth averaged 84 from ’19-’31. They both had 75+ XBH each year from ’26 to ’31.
