According to ESPN’s home run tracker, there have been precisely 5,028 home runs during the 2016 season. With roughly 20 games to go (~12.5% of the season remaining), MLB sluggers have a shot of topping the all-time home run total (in a single season), and appear to already be a shoe-in for the top five overall.
"Bartolo has done it! The impossible has happened!" – @Mets TV broadcaster Gary Cohenhttps://t.co/IMQ1qVDBTs
— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2016
At NBC Sports, Matthew Pouliot noticed the trend, and collected the previous season highs (year – total):
- 2000 – 5,592 HRs
- 1999 – 5,528 HRs
- 2001 – 5,458 HRs
- 2004 – 5451 HRs
- 2006 – 5,386 HRs
If you fancy yourself a bit of detective, you may have noticed that the previous single season home run records were set in an era with … questionable resources, making the heavily tested and relatively clean 2016 season quite the feat (if you didn’t notice that, maybe you shouldn’t fancy yourself a detective anymore).
.@Giancarlo818 just hit a ball 504 feet.
We repeat – 504 FEET. https://t.co/UixlxnpMv4https://t.co/1ujRbqZQep
— MLB (@MLB) August 7, 2016
Pouliot also points out that the single season total might be broken in a year without a single 50-HR guy. But while there isn’t any one single standout, there are a number of over-achievers:
- Mark Trumbo – 41
- Brian Dozier – 40
- Edwin Encarnacion – 39
- Kris Bryant – 37
- Nolan Arenado – 37
- Chris Davis – 37
- Khris Davis – 36
- Todd Frazier – 36
- Manny Machado – 35
- Nelson Cruz – 35
While it’s far from a lock, there’s a pretty real chance that up to 10 guys may have 40 or more home runs when the season is over. And while runs scored isn’t up quite as much here in 2016, the increase in home runs is a great way to reignite offense and excitement around the league.
And hey, they don’t all have to be crushed:
Career home run number 2 for @LieutenantDans7!! #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/h1E1B3Lz4G
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 8, 2016