Fewest games played to 100 career home runs

Reaching 100 profession house runs is an achievement by itself, however doing so early in a profession is much more spectacular.

There have been 13 gamers in American League/National League historical past to succeed in the 100-homers mark in fewer than 400 profession video games, with the newest addition to that membership being Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, who did it on April 3, 2023, in his 372nd profession sport.

Here’s a take a look at the fewest video games by a participant to hit 100 profession house runs.

Ryan Howard: 325 video games
Howard set the usual after which some, demolishing the earlier report for fewest video games to 100 profession house runs. He hit No. 100 on June 27, 2007, his 325th sport within the Majors. It was his fourth season within the bigs, after a 19-game cup of espresso in ’04 and an 88-game Rookie of the Year-winning marketing campaign in ’05. He went on to hit 47 house runs in that ’07 season, 11 fewer than he’d had whereas profitable NL MVP the yr earlier than. Howard completed his profession with 382 house runs.

Pete Alonso: 347 video games
Polar Bear Pete popped his a centesimal house run on Sept. 7, 2021, launching a two-run shot — a Statcast-projected 425-foot blast — off Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera at loanDepot park in Miami. It was Alonso’s thirty first lengthy ball of the season, making him simply the eighth participant in MLB historical past to succeed in 100 homers in his first three seasons. He added No. 32 later within the sport, a solo shot within the ninth inning. Alonso grew to become the ninth Mets participant to report a number of seasons of 30 or extra house runs and the primary to take action inside his first three seasons. He hit an AL/NL rookie report 53 homers in 2019.

Gary Sanchez: 355 video games
Sanchez joined the 100 house run membership with a solo homer off the Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 23, 2019. In reaching the milestone in his 355th profession sport, he set a brand new American League report, getting there in 22 fewer video games than Joey Gallo. Sanchez burst onto the Major League scene in 2016, when he launched 20 house runs in simply 53 video games and completed second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. His profession excessive of 33 homers got here in ’17, and together with his a centesimal profession homer being his twenty ninth of 2019, he was effectively on his solution to setting a brand new profession greatest.

Aaron Judge: 371 video games
Judge’s quest for 100 was delayed by an damage early within the 2019 season however he landed on the century mark on Aug. 27 in Seattle. He linked for a two-run shot within the first inning towards Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Judge hit 4 homers in an abbreviated keep within the Majors in 2016 earlier than asserting himself with full pressure a yr later, launching an American League-best 52 dingers. He added 27 in 2018, one other season hindered by damage through which he was restricted him to 112 video games.

Yordan Alvarez: 372 video games
From the second of his debut, Alvarez was top-of-the-line hitters in baseball. In 2019, he was named AL Rookie of the Year regardless of having performed simply 87 video games — as a result of he occurred to hit 27 house runs (.655 SLG) over that extraordinarily transient season. Despite lacking virtually all the 2020 season with a knee damage and coping with irritation in his proper hand in 2022, he hit 33 homers in 2021 and one other 37 in ’22. His not-long-awaited a centesimal homer got here on the excellent time for the Astros, because the three-run blast towards Tigers right-hander José Cisnero was a game-tying shot.

Ralph Kiner: 376 video games
Kiner bought off to a quick begin and didn’t look again, totaling 23 house runs in his first season in 1946 earlier than promptly hitting 51 in ’47. By ’48, he was making his manner towards 100 for his profession, a milestone he reached on July 18 within the second sport of a doubleheader. Kiner held not less than a share of the National League lead in house runs every season from 1946-52, peaking with 54 in ’49. He completed his profession with 369 house runs.

Joey Gallo: 377 video games
Gallo’s a centesimal house run was maybe most notable as a result of it made him the primary participant in Major League historical past to succeed in 100 profession house runs earlier than hitting 100 profession singles. After hitting seven house runs mixed in 53 Major League video games throughout the 2015 and ’16 seasons, Gallo hit 41 in ’17 and one other 40 in ’18, to assist him get nearer to that 100 for his profession. He’s already reached 110 profession house runs and nonetheless is simply 25 years outdated.

Ronald Acuña Jr.: 378 video games
At 23 years and 184 days outdated, Acuña grew to become the ninth-youngest participant to succeed in 100 homers. His 403-foot shot to left-center was the one run the Braves wanted in a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals. It adopted a nine-game homerless drought for Acuña. Up till that time, he had skilled solely six longer stretches with out a house run in his profession.

Chuck Klein: 390 video games
Klein hit a modest 11 house runs in his first season within the Majors in 1928, in 64 video games, however actually kicked it into gear after that. He hit 43 in 1929 and 40 in ’30, heading into his fourth Major League season in ’31. He knocked his a centesimal profession homer on May 11 in his 390th profession sport, and went on to complete second in MVP voting that yr, the primary time the BBWAA voted on the award. He completed his profession with 300 house runs.

Bob Horner: 390 video games
Horner managed greater than 20 homers in every of his first three seasons to get near 100. He hit No. 100 on Sept. 9, 1981, in his 390th profession sport, off none apart from Nolan Ryan. Displaying a knack for hitting homers off nice pitchers, Horner had six in his profession off Fernando Valenzuela, his most towards any pitcher. He completed his profession with 218 house runs.

Mark McGwire: 393 video games
McGwire’s first full season in 1987 yielded 49 house runs. Couple that with the three he hit in 18 video games in ’86, and he was already greater than midway to 100 after a mere 169 video games. He hit No. 100 on July 5, 1989, in his 393rd profession sport. He completed with 583 house runs, which ranks eleventh all-time.

Joe DiMaggio: 395 video games
DiMaggio was an All-Star in yearly of his profession through which he performed not less than one sport, which tells you how briskly of a begin he bought off to. He hit 29 homers in his first season, then hit 46 in his second yr, 1937. As the ’38 season wound down, he hit No. 100 on Aug. 25 off the Indians’ Denny Galehouse within the second sport of his doubleheader, the 395th sport of his profession. He completed his profession with 361 house runs.

Eddie Mathews: 397 video games
Mathews started his profession with a 25-homer season in 1952. Then he hit 47 in ’53, ending second in NL MVP voting to Roy Campanella. He hit his a centesimal profession house run in his third season and 397th profession sport, going yard on Aug. 1, 1954, towards the Dodgers at Brooklyn, going through Clem Labine. He completed with 512 homers.