List of Major League Baseball all-time leaders in home runs by pitchers
In baseball, a home run (HR) is typically a fair hit that passes over an outfield fence or into the stands at a distance from home base of 250 feet or more, which entitles the batter to legally touch all bases and score without liability.[1][2] Atypically, a batter who hits a fair ball and touches each base in succession from 1st to home, without an error being charged to a defensive player, is credited with an inside-the-park home run.[3][4] If, during a play, defensive or fan interference is called, and the awarded bases allow the batter to cross home plate, the batter is credited with a home run.[3][5]
Wes Ferrell holds the all-time Major League Baseball record for home runs hit while playing the position of pitcher. He hit 37 as a pitcher.[6] Baseball Hall of Famers Bob Lemon and Warren Spahn are tied for second with 35 career home runs apiece.[7][8] Red Ruffing, Earl Wilson, and Don Drysdale are the only other pitchers to hit at least 25 home runs.[9][10][11] Jack Stivetts hit a total of 35 home runs in his playing career, 21 as a pitcher.[12] Yovani Gallardo, with 12 home runs, holds the lead among all active pitchers.[13]
Ferrell also holds the single-season record for home runs by a pitcher, with nine, a mark that he reached in 1931.[6] The record had previously been held by Stivetts, who had hit seven in 1890.[12] Since 1931, six different pitchers have hit seven home runs in a season: Ferrell, Lemon, Don Newcombe, Don Drysdale (twice), Wilson, and Mike Hampton.[6][7][10][11][14][15]
The first pitcher to officially hit a home run was Jack Manning, who accomplished the feat on August 3, 1876.[16] The most home runs by a pitcher in a single game is three, achieved by Jim Tobin on May 13, 1942.[17]
Career
All-time
Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | |
§ |
Active player |
Player | Home runs | Career total | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ferrell, WesWes Ferrell | 37 | 38 | Hit one home run as a pinch hitter. | [6] |
Lemon, BobBob Lemon | 35 | 37 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [7] |
Spahn, WarrenWarren Spahn | 35 | 35 | [8] | |
Ruffing, RedRed Ruffing | 34 | 36 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [9] |
Wilson, EarlEarl Wilson | 33 | 35 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [10] |
Drysdale, DonDon Drysdale | 29 | 29 | [11] | |
Clarkson, JohnJohn Clarkson | 24 | 24 | [18] | |
Gibson, BobBob Gibson | 24 | 24 | [19] | |
Zambrano, CarlosCarlos Zambrano | 24 | 24 | [20] | |
Johnson, WalterWalter Johnson | 23 | 24 | Hit one home run as a pinch hitter. | [21] |
Stivetts, JackJack Stivetts | 21 | 35 | Hit 11 home runs while playing various other positions and three as a pinch hitter. | [12] |
Pappas, MiltMilt Pappas | 20 | 20 | [22] | |
Trout, DizzyDizzy Trout | 20 | 20 | [23] | |
Harshman, JackJack Harshman | 19 | 21 | Hit two home runs as a first baseman. | [24] |
Young, CyCy Young | 18 | 18 | [25] | |
Rowe, SchoolboySchoolboy Rowe | 16 | 18 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [26] |
Tobin, JimJim Tobin | 16 | 17 | Hit one home run as a pinch hitter. | [17] |
Kaat, JimJim Kaat | 16 | 16 | [27] | |
Hampton, MikeMike Hampton | 16 | 16 | [15] | |
Meekin, JouettJouett Meekin | 15 | 15 | [28] | |
Schumacher, HalHal Schumacher | 15 | 15 | [29] | |
Grove, LeftyLefty Grove | 15 | 15 | [30] | |
Passeau, ClaudeClaude Passeau | 15 | 15 | [31] | |
Nuxhall, JoeJoe Nuxhall | 15 | 15 | [32] | |
Wynn, EarlyEarly Wynn | 15 | 17 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [33] |
Newcombe, DonDon Newcombe | 15 | 15 | [14] | |
Donovan, DickDick Donovan | 15 | 15 | [34] | |
Cardwell, DonDon Cardwell | 15 | 15 | [35] | |
Ramos, PedroPedro Ramos | 15 | 15 | [36] | |
Wise, RickRick Wise | 15 | 15 | [37] | |
Peters, GaryGary Peters | 15 | 19 | Hit four home runs as a pinch hitter | [38] |
Active
Player | Home runs | Career total | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gallardo, YovaniYovani Gallardo§ | 12 | 12 | [13] | |
Willis, DontrelleDontrelle Willis§ | 9 | 9 | [39] | |
Wood, TravisTravis Wood§ | 9 | 9 | [40] | |
Owings, MicahMicah Owings§ | 7 | 9 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [41] |
Arroyo, BronsonBronson Arroyo§ | 6 | 6 | [42] | |
Cain, MattMatt Cain§ | 6 | 6 | [43] | |
Wainwright, AdamAdam Wainwright§ | 6 | 6 | [44] | |
Bumgarner, MadisonMadison Bumgarner§ | 6 | 6 | [45] |
Single-season
Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | |
§ |
Active player |
Progression of the single-season record
Player | Home runs | Year | Team | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manning, JackJack Manning | 1 | 1876 | Boston Red Caps | Tied by Jim Devlin (1877),[50] Terry Larkin (1877),[51] and John Montgomery Ward (1878).[52] | [16] |
Ward, John MontgomeryJohn Montgomery Ward | 2 | 1879 | Providence Grays | [52] | |
Whitney, JimJim Whitney | 4 | 1882 | Boston Red Caps | Tied by John Clarkson (1885).[18] | [53] |
Clarkson, JohnJohn Clarkson | 6 | 1887 | Chicago White Stockings | [18] | |
Stivetts, JackJack Stivetts | 7 | 1890 | St. Louis Browns | [12] | |
Ferrell, WesWes Ferrell | 9 | 1931 | Cleveland Indians | [6] |
Single-game
Player | Team | Home Runs | Date | Opposing team | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tobin, JimJim Tobin | Boston Braves | 3 | May 13, 1942 | Chicago Cubs | [17] |
References
- ↑ Official Baseball Rule, 6.09 (d), page 61
- ↑ Official Baseball Rule, 7.05 (a), page 66
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lundman, Susan. "Definition of a Home Run". livestrong.com. Demand Media, Inc. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ↑ Paul Dickson (2011-06-13). The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (Third Edition). W. W. Norton. p. 426. ISBN 978-0-393-34008-2.
- ↑ "Major League Baseball Official Rules: 7.00 The Runner". mlb.com. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 "Wes Ferrell career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Bob Lemon career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Warren Spahn career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Red Ruffing career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 "Earl Wilson career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "Don Drysdale career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 "Jack Stivetts career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Yovani Gallardo career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Don Newcombe career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Mike Hampton career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Jack Manning career home runs". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 "Jim Tobin career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 "John Clarkson career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Bob Gibson career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Carlos Zambrano career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Walter Johnson career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Milt Pappas career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Dizzy Trout career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 "Jack Harshman career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Cy Young career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Schoolboy Rowe career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Jim Kaat career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Jouett Meekin career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Hal Schumacher career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Lefty Grove career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Claude Passeau career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Joe Nuxhall career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Early Wynn career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Dick Donovan career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Don Cardwell career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Pedro Ramos career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Rick Wise career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Gary Peters career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Dontrelle Willis career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ "Travis Wood career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ "Micah Owings career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ "Bronson Arroyo career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ "Matt Cain career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ "Adam Wainwright career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ "Madison Bumgarner". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Statistics". mlb.mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Bill Hutchinson career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
- ↑ "Ferguson Jenkins career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Sonny Siebert career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Jim Devlin career home runs". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Terry Larkin career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 "John Montgomery Ward career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Jim Whitney career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
Bibliography
- Official Baseball Rules (PDF). Major League Baseball. 2011. p. 130.