Although he played 33 more games before retiring during the following season, Ken Griffey Jr. hit is 630th home run on October 3rd, 2009, and that was the last dinger of his brilliant and beloved Hall of Fame career.
With that home run, he finished sixth all time on the home run list, behind some of baseball’s finest sluggers:
- Barry Bonds: 762
- Hank Aaron: 755
- Babe Ruth: 714
- Alex Rodriguez: 696
- Willie Mays: 660
- Ken Griffey Jr.: 630
But last night, Albert Pujols launched his 629th *and* 630th career home runs, tying one of the game’s greatest players and solidifying himself among the elite home run hitters of his generation.
Take a look at both:
Those homers were part of a three-hit night and were Pujols’ 15th and 16th of 2018. He hit just 23 all of last season, so he’s on pace to beat that this year.
The difficult part now, however, will be cracking the top five. Pujols has a contract through the 2021 season, so he’s got plenty of time, but you have to wonder, at 38 years old, how long he’ll keep playing or keeping playing well.
If you ask me, he’s probably good for another 10 homers this season, so he’s looking at another 20 before he hangs up the cleats to tie Willie Mays and enter the top 5 of all-time. Do you think he can get there?