From the crack of the bat that sent Barry Bonds’ 756th home run into history to the electric crackle of Shohei Ohtani's unprecedented two-way contract, the numbers of baseball weave an epic tale of power, precision, and legacy.
Key Takeaways
- Barry Bonds holds the MLB career home run record with 762 home runs from 1986-2007
- Hank Aaron's 755 career home runs stood as the record for 33 years until broken by Bonds
- Babe Ruth's 714 career home runs rank 3rd all-time in MLB history
- Gerrit Cole led MLB with a 2.63 ERA in 2023 over 209 innings for the Yankees
- Jacob deGrom posted a 1.70 ERA in 2022 before injury, lowest in NL
- Clayton Kershaw has a career 2.48 ERA over 17 seasons with the Dodgers
- The New York Yankees have won 27 World Series championships, most in MLB history
- The St. Louis Cardinals hold 11 World Series titles, second-most all-time
- Oakland Athletics have 9 World Series wins across three cities (Philadelphia, Kansas City, Oakland)
- Babe Ruth pitched a 29.2 scoreless inning streak in 1916 World Series
- Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history on Oct 8, 1956
- Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" won 1951 NL pennant for Giants
- MLB average attendance was 26,806 per game in 2023, up 9% from 2022
- Total MLB attendance reached 70.7 million in 2023, highest since 2019 pre-COVID
- Dodger Stadium led MLB with 3.9 million attendees in 2023
This blog post covers major baseball records across home runs, pitching, and historic World Series moments.
Attendance and Economics
- MLB average attendance was 26,806 per game in 2023, up 9% from 2022
- Total MLB attendance reached 70.7 million in 2023, highest since 2019 pre-COVID
- Dodger Stadium led MLB with 3.9 million attendees in 2023
- Yankee Stadium drew 3.3 million fans in 2023, second-highest
- Coors Field had average 34,465 per game in 2023 due to altitude appeal
- Oakland Coliseum had lowest average attendance at 10,627 in 2023
- MLB revenue hit $11.3 billion in 2023, driven by media deals and tickets
- New York Yankees valued at $7.55 billion in 2024 Forbes rankings, highest
- Los Angeles Dodgers valued at $4.8 billion, second in MLB per Forbes 2024
- Shohei Ohtani signed 10-year $700 million contract with Dodgers in Dec 2023
- Average MLB player salary was $4.51 million in 2023, up from prior year
- Justin Verlander signed 2-year $86.5 million deal with Astros post-2022 Cy Young
- Fenway Park, opened 1912, is oldest MLB stadium with 37,755 capacity
- MLB minimum salary rose to $740,000 in 2024 from $720,000 in 2023
- TV deals with ESPN, FOX, TBS worth $1.5 billion annually through 2021, renewed higher
- Pete Alonso signed 8-year $182 million extension with Mets in 2024
- Rafael Devers inked 10-year $313.5 million deal with Red Sox in 2023
- Wrigley Field hosted 3 million fans in 2023, strong Cubs draw
- Angel Stadium averaged 29,000+ in 2023 despite Angels' poor record
- PNC Park in Pittsburgh drew 1.8 million in 2023 with scenic views boosting
Attendance and Economics Interpretation
Baseball's coffers are overflowing, as evidenced by soaring attendance, gargantuan contracts, and record valuations, proving that while a team's performance on the field can be fickle, the business of the sport is in a league of its own.
Hitting and Batting
- Barry Bonds holds the MLB career home run record with 762 home runs from 1986-2007
- Hank Aaron's 755 career home runs stood as the record for 33 years until broken by Bonds
- Babe Ruth's 714 career home runs rank 3rd all-time in MLB history
- Albert Pujols finished his career with 703 home runs, 4th all-time, across 22 seasons
- Alex Rodriguez hit 696 career home runs, 5th all-time, playing for multiple teams
- Willie Mays amassed 660 career home runs over 22 seasons with the Giants and Mets
- Ken Griffey Jr. hit 630 home runs, tied for 7th all-time, known for his sweet swing
- Jim Thome slugged 612 home runs in a power-hitting career spanning 1991-2012
- Sammy Sosa launched 609 home runs, peaking with 66 in 1998 during the home run chase
- Frank Thomas hit 521 home runs with a .301 career batting average as the Big Hurt
- Ted Williams leads MLB with a .482 career on-base percentage over 19 seasons
- Babe Ruth's .473 career OBP ranks 2nd all-time behind Williams
- Ty Cobb holds the career batting average record at .366 from 1905-1928
- Rogers Hornsby batted .358 career with a .434 OBP and 301 home runs
- Shohei Ohtani batted .304 with 44 HR and 95 RBI in 2023 for the Angels
- Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs in 2022, setting the AL single-season record
- Pete Alonso led MLB with 53 home runs in 2019 as a rookie for the Mets
- Giancarlo Stanton hit 59 home runs in 2017, a Marlins single-season record
- Nolan Arenado batted .276 with 26 HR and 93 RBI in 2023 for the Cardinals
- Freddie Freeman won the 2020 NL batting title with .341 average
- Luis Arraez won the AL batting title in 2023 with .354 average for the Marlins/Padres
- Ichiro Suzuki collected 509 hits in 2004, an MLB single-season record
- George Sisler had 257 hits in 1920, a record that stood for 84 years
- Lefty O'Doul batted .398 in 1929, one of the highest single-season averages
- Tony Gwynn hit .394 in 1994, the highest since WWII
- Stan Musial batted .331 career with 475 home runs over 22 years
- Joe Morgan led MLB in OBP four times with a .392 career mark
- Mookie Betts batted .292 with 31 HR and 107 RBI in 2023 for the Dodgers
- Ronald Acuna Jr. hit .337 with 41 HR and 106 RBI in 2023, winning NL MVP
- Corey Seager slashed .327/.390/.630 with 33 HR in 2023 playoffs
- Nolan Nolan hit .315 with 33 doubles and 19 HR in 2023 for the Rangers
- Nolan Nolan had 200 hits in 2019, joining elite company
Hitting and Batting Interpretation
Barry Bonds' 762 home runs stand atop a statistical Everest where legends like Aaron and Ruth form the base camp, reminding us that the peaks of greatness are measured over generations, not just in raw numbers.
Pitching and Fielding
- Gerrit Cole led MLB with a 2.63 ERA in 2023 over 209 innings for the Yankees
- Jacob deGrom posted a 1.70 ERA in 2022 before injury, lowest in NL
- Clayton Kershaw has a career 2.48 ERA over 17 seasons with the Dodgers
- Max Scherzer's 3.15 career ERA includes 3,123 strikeouts in 2,452 innings
- Justin Verlander won his third Cy Young in 2022 at age 39 with 1.75 ERA in AL
- Shane Bieber struck out 259 in 2020, leading MLB in 77.1 innings
- Corbin Burnes had a 2.43 ERA in 2021 with 202 strikeouts for Brewers
- Zack Wheeler posted 2.42 ERA in 2023 with 212 strikeouts for Phillies
- Sandy Koufax holds the single-season ERA record of 1.77 in 1966
- Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA in 1968 is the modern single-season record
- Nolan Ryan struck out 5,714 batters, MLB career record, over 27 seasons
- Randy Johnson's 4,875 career strikeouts rank 2nd all-time
- Pedro Martinez fanned 3,154 in career with 2.93 ERA peak dominance
- Cy Young's 511 career wins is the all-time MLB record from 1890-1911
- Walter Johnson's 417 wins rank 2nd all-time with 3,509 strikeouts
- Greg Maddux won 355 games with a 3.16 ERA over 23 seasons
- Andrelton Simmons leads MLB career Defensive Runs Saved with 189 from 2012-2022
- Ozzie Smith has 44.2 career Defensive WAR, tops among shortstops
- Brooks Robinson won 16 Gold Gloves at third base with elite fielding
- Johnny Bench earned 10 Gold Gloves as catcher with 75% caught stealing
- Roberto Clemente won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves in right field
- Willie Mays won 12 Gold Gloves in center field with 7,095 putouts
Pitching and Fielding Interpretation
These pitchers put up numbers so absurd they look like typos, while the defenders behind them performed so brilliantly they made a difficult game look easy.
Records and Milestones
- Babe Ruth pitched a 29.2 scoreless inning streak in 1916 World Series
- Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history on Oct 8, 1956
- Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" won 1951 NL pennant for Giants
- Bill Mazeroski's walk-off HR in Game 7 won 1960 World Series for Pirates
- Joe Carter's 3-run HR in 1993 WS Game 6 clinched title for Blue Jays
- David Ortiz hit .688 in 2013 ALCS, leading Red Sox comeback from 3-0 deficit
- Madison Bumgarner's 2.11 ERA in 2014 postseason won WS MVP for Giants
- Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak at 2,130 on Sept 6, 1995
- Rickey Henderson stole 1,406 career bases, MLB record, from 1979-2003
- Lou Brock swiped 938 bases, NL record for decades, peaking at 118 in 1974
- Ichiro Suzuki's 262 hits in 2004 set single-season record since 1920
- Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa combined for 119 HR in 1998 home run chase
- Fernando Valenzuela won NL Cy Young and Rookie of Year in 1981 strike-shortened season
- Hideo Nomo won NL Rookie of Year in 1995 with 13-6 record for Dodgers
- Jackie Robinson debuted on April 15, 1947, breaking MLB color barrier
Records and Milestones Interpretation
Here is a one-sentence interpretation: This list is a beautiful argument that baseball's soul is found not in any single stat, but in the breathtaking moments of pure, pressurized human triumph—whether it's a legendary home run, a streak of endurance, a barrier shattered, or a pitcher simply deciding a game shall be perfect.
Team Performance
- The New York Yankees have won 27 World Series championships, most in MLB history
- The St. Louis Cardinals hold 11 World Series titles, second-most all-time
- Oakland Athletics have 9 World Series wins across three cities (Philadelphia, Kansas City, Oakland)
- Boston Red Sox ended 86-year drought with 2004 World Series win over Cardinals
- Los Angeles Dodgers won 2020 World Series in shortened season amid COVID
- Texas Rangers won their first World Series in 2023 beating Arizona Diamondbacks
- Chicago Cubs ended 108-year championship drought in 2016 vs Cleveland
- New York Yankees set single-season wins record with 116 in 1998 (162 games)
- 1906 Chicago Cubs won 116 games but lost World Series to White Sox
- 2001 Seattle Mariners tied record with 116 wins but no postseason title
- Atlanta Braves won 2021 World Series after NL East division title
- Cincinnati Reds swept the 1976 World Series in 7 games? Wait, 4 games vs Yankees
- 1990 Cincinnati Reds swept Oakland A's for World Series title
- Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series in 1992-1993
- Miami Marlins won 2003 World Series as Wild Card team beating Yankees
- Arizona Diamondbacks won 2001 WS on Luis Gonzalez walk-off vs Yankees
- The Yankees have 40 American League pennants, most in AL history
- Dodgers have 25 NL pennants, tied for most in National League
Team Performance Interpretation
Baseball history offers a masterclass in glorious achievement and agonizing irony, where dynasties like the Yankees' 27 crowns are punctuated by teams like the Mariners' 116-win futility, reminding us that October demands a special, often cruel, alchemy of talent and luck.
Sources & References
- Reference 1BASEBALL-REFERENCEbaseball-reference.comVisit source
- Reference 2ESPNespn.comVisit source
- Reference 3FORBESforbes.comVisit source
- Reference 4MLBmlb.comVisit source
- Reference 5SPOTRACspotrac.comVisit source
- Reference 6MLBTRADERUMORSmlbtraderumors.comVisit source
- Reference 7SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNALsportsbusinessjournal.comVisit source