The following is a chronology of the top ten leaders in lifetime home runs in Major League Baseball. This includes any home runs hit by a player during official regular season games (i.e., excluding playoffs or exhibition games) in the National Association (1871–1875), National League (since 1876), the American Association (1882–1891), the Union Association (1884), the Players' League (1890), the American League (since 1901), and the Federal League (1914–1915).
The list helps contextualize the evolution of one of the most prized achievements in United States sports. In the early 1930s, Babe Ruth had almost 400 more home runs than the next player, his longtime teammate Lou Gehrig; when Joe DiMaggio retired in 1951, he was fifth on the all-time list.
Career home run leaders by year
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Key to symbols in player table
!scope="row" style="background-color:#ffffcc"|
|Player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#cfecec;"|
|Player is still active
|}
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! 1st
! 2nd
! 3rd
! 4th
! 5th
! 6th
! 7th
! 8th
! 9th
! 10th
! (tied)
|-
! 1871
|-
| Harry Stovey || 46 || August 11, 1885 || 122 || 1893 || June 29, 1887 || ||
|-
| Babe Ruth || 139 || July 18, 1921 || 714 || 1935 || April 8, 1974 || ||
|-
| Hank Aaron || 715 || April 8, 1974 || 755 || 1976 || August 7, 2007 || ||
|-
| Barry Bonds || 756 || August 7, 2007 || 762 || 2007 || — || ||
|}
: indicates the player hit additional home runs after being passed.
: source material is unclear of Stovey's home run count when passing Brouthers
See also
- Baseball statistics
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball progressive single-season home run leaders
- 500 home run club
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs