- Babe Ruth is the most famous slugger in MLB history.
- Barry Bonds holds the record for the most home runs.
- Twenty-eight players have hit 500 or more homers.
The most famous sluggers have often been listed as MVP favourites in the MLB betting markets.
These hitters posted big-time power numbers, often paired with high on-base percentages. They amassed individual accolades throughout their spectacular careers and are responsible for a vast number of MLB records.
For this list, I have focused on retired players. Of course, several active players could make the top 10 if they continue on their current trajectories.
10 Most Famous MLB Sluggers
| Rank | Player Name | Team(s) | Avg./HRs/RBIs |
| 1 | Babe Ruth | Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Boston Braves | .342/714/2214 |
| 2 | Barry Bonds | Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants | .298/762/1996 |
| 3 | Hank Aaron | Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers | .305/755/2297 |
| 4 | Mark McGwire | Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals | .263/583/1414 |
| 5 | Alex Rodriguez | Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees | .295/696/2086 |
| 6 | Albert Pujols | St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers | .296/703/2218 |
| 7 | David Ortiz | Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox | .286/541/1768 |
| 8 | Lou Gehrig | New York Yankees | .340/493/1995 |
| 9 | Miguel Cabrera | Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers | .306/511/1881 |
| 10 | Frank Thomas | Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays | .301/521/1704 |
Who’s the Most Famous Slugger of All Time?
I think Babe Ruth is the most famous slugger in MLB history.
Even people with no knowledge or interest in baseball know of Ruth. He is part of that small group of sports figures that transcend their sport, along with Usain Bolt, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, and a few others.
Ruth’s 206 OPS+ is 15 points clear of anyone else in baseball history. He reinvented what it meant to be a major-league hitter, leading the big leagues in OPS on seven occasions.
Prior to Hank Aaron overtaking him in 1974, Ruth had held the record for most career home runs for 39 years. To this day, his 11 seasons with 40 or more homers is three more than anyone else has achieved. Jim Thome is the only player with more walk-off homers than Ruth.
If online sports betting were available during Ruth’s heyday, he would have been the massive favourite to lead the majors in homers every season. Many players ranked below Ruth were consistently priced among the MVP favourites in the baseball betting markets, too.
99 years ago, the @Yankees acquired Babe Ruth.
Needless to say, conditioning has changed since then. 😂 pic.twitter.com/LoVV1BIG7d
— MLB (@MLB) January 3, 2019
I opted to leave some players off this list (Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mickey Mantle, for instance) as I feel their legacies are more about their complete skill set than their slugging ability.
Mark McGwire, meanwhile, was included due to his significance in recent MLB history. His high-profile chase of home run records and rivalry with Sammy Sosa make him far more famous than players with better numbers.
It would have been easy to put Barry Bonds in the top spot. Bonds is the home run king, after all, and he has been the centre of debate in recent years due to his controversial Hall of Fame candidacy. I don’t think anyone else has much of a case to be put ahead of Ruth.
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