The 500 home run club is the most exclusive power-hitting milestone in baseball. In over 150 years of MLB and across more than 20,000 players who have ever stepped to the plate, only 28 have crossed the 500-homer threshold. Babe Ruth was the first to do it in 1929, and Miguel Cabrera was the most recent to join when he hit number 500 on August 22, 2021. With Cabrera’s retirement after 2023, the club has no active members for the first time in decades. Here’s the complete ranking of every 500 home run club member, including the four players who reached 700, the steroid-era controversies, and the active players who have a realistic shot at joining.
500 home run club: complete ranking
Every member ranked by career home runs, plus the 700 club, single-franchise members, and the active players chasing the milestone.
All 28 members ranked by career home runs
From Barry Bonds at 762 down to Eddie Murray at 504
#
Player
HR
500th HR Year
HOF Status
Career Notes
1
Barry Bonds
762
2001
Not in HOF
All-time HR leader. Set single-season record with 73 in 2001.
2
Hank Aaron
755
1971
HOF 1982
Held the all-time HR record from 1974 to 2007.
3
Babe Ruth
714
1929
HOF 1936
First member of the club. Held HR record for 39 years.
4
Albert Pujols
703
2014
Eligible 2027
Reached 700 in 2022. Most recent member of the 700 club.
5
Alex Rodriguez
696
2007
Not in HOF
Youngest player to 500 (32 years, 8 days). PED issues.
6
Willie Mays
660
1965
HOF 1979
“Say Hey Kid.” Many consider him the greatest all-around player.
7
Ken Griffey Jr.
630
2004
HOF 2016
99.32% HOF vote — highest ever at the time. Iconic swing.
8
Pujols (continued)
—
See above
—
Listed in 700 club position above.
8
Jim Thome
612
2007
HOF 2018
Underrated career. .402 OBP, no PED links.
9
Sammy Sosa
609
2003
Not in HOF
Only player with three 60-HR seasons. PED cloud.
10
Mark McGwire
583
1999
Not in HOF
70 HR in 1998. Admitted PED use, off ballot.
11
Rafael Palmeiro
569
2003
Not in HOF
3,020 hits + 569 HR. Failed 2005 PED test.
12
Reggie Jackson
563
1984
HOF 1993
“Mr. October.” 5x World Series champion.
13
Manny Ramirez
555
2008
Not in HOF
Two PED suspensions. 12x All-Star.
14
Mike Schmidt
548
1987
HOF 1995
Best 3B ever. 3x MVP, all with the Phillies.
15
David Ortiz
541
2015
HOF 2022
“Big Papi.” 3x World Series champion with the Red Sox.
16
Mickey Mantle
536
1967
HOF 1974
3x AL MVP. Yankees legend, all 18 years in NY.
17
Jimmie Foxx
534
1940
HOF 1951
Back-to-back MVPs (1932-33). 2nd to reach 500.
18
Frank Thomas
521
2007
HOF 2014
“The Big Hurt.” 2x AL MVP, no PED association.
19
Ted Williams
521
1960
HOF 1966
“Splendid Splinter.” Lost 3 years to WWII service.
20
Willie McCovey
521
1978
HOF 1986
“Stretch.” McCovey Cove named after him.
21
Ernie Banks
512
1970
HOF 1977
“Mr. Cub.” 2x NL MVP, all 19 years with Cubs.
22
Eddie Mathews
512
1967
HOF 1978
Aaron’s teammate. 9x All-Star, Hall of Fame 3B.
23
Mel Ott
511
1945
HOF 1951
First NL player to 500. All 22 seasons with Giants.
24
Gary Sheffield
509
2009
Not in HOF
9x All-Star with 8 different teams. PED cloud.
25
Eddie Murray
504
1996
HOF 2003
3,000 hits + 500 HR. Switch hitter.
26
Lou Gehrig
493
N/A*
HOF 1939
*Career cut short by ALS at 493 HR (just shy of 500).
27
Miguel Cabrera
511
2021
Eligible 2029
Most recent member. 2012 Triple Crown winner.
28
Harmon Killebrew
573
1971
HOF 1984
8 seasons with 40+ HR. Senators/Twins legend.
The 700 home run club
Only 4 players in MLB history have hit 700 career home runs
#
Player
HR
Year of 700th
The legacy
1
Barry Bonds
762
2004
All-time leader. Set the record on Aug 7, 2007.
2
Hank Aaron
755
1973
Held all-time record from 1974 until Bonds passed him.
3
Babe Ruth
714
1934
First 700-HR player. Held record 39 years.
4
Albert Pujols
703
2022
Most recent. Reached 700 in his final season.
Single-franchise members
Only 5 of the 28 hit all their HR for one team
Mickey Mantle
New York Yankees
536
1951-1968 (18 yrs)
Ted Williams
Boston Red Sox
521
1939-1960 (19 yrs)
Mike Schmidt
Philadelphia Phillies
548
1972-1989 (18 yrs)
Ernie Banks
Chicago Cubs
512
1953-1971 (19 yrs)
Mel Ott
New York Giants
511
1926-1947 (22 yrs)
Active players chasing 500
No active members of the club. Here’s who has the best chance to join.
Player
Career HR
Need 500
Realistic odds
Giancarlo Stanton
~440
~60
Closest to milestone. Injury history makes the path uncertain.
Mike Trout
~380
~120
Talent says yes. Injury concerns make 500 a real question.
Bryce Harper
~350
~150
Smooth swing, longest runway. Realistic 500 candidate by 2030.
Aaron Judge
~320
~180
Late start to MLB but elite power output. Possible by 2031-32.
Manny Machado
~360
~140
Consistent power, durability. Realistic candidate by 2030.
Shohei Ohtani
~265
~235
Pitching workload limits HR pace. Long shot but not impossible.
The takeaway
The 500 home run club has 28 members across 95+ years of MLB history. Half of them reached the milestone before 1996, and 11 joined between 1999 and 2009 — the heart of the steroid era. Since 2009, only David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera have crossed 500. The 2010s and 2020s have produced great power hitters, but increased strikeout rates and pitcher specialization have made 500 a much harder mark to reach. The next 500 HR hitter probably isn’t coming until at least 2027, and possibly later.
Sources: Baseball-Reference, MLB.com, Baseball Almanac. Through 2025 season.
What’s next for the 500 home run club?
The 500 home run club hasn’t added a new member since Cabrera in 2021, and the path to the next inductee is genuinely murky. Modern baseball’s combination of higher strikeout rates, increased pitcher specialization, and hitters retiring earlier than ever before has created a real drought.
The active players closest to 500 are Mike Trout (around 380), Giancarlo Stanton (around 440), and Bryce Harper (around 350). Stanton is the closest but his injury history makes the road from 440 to 500 anything but certain. Harper has the smoothest swing and the longest career runway. Trout’s chase will depend entirely on whether his recent injury issues stabilize. The next 500 home run hitter probably isn’t joining the club until 2027 at the earliest.
For more career stats and historical context on each member, the MLB.com 500 Home Run Club page has detailed write-ups on every player including box scores from each player’s 500th home run game. Baseball-Reference’s career home run leaders page tracks active players’ progress toward 500 in real time and includes complete career splits, postseason home run totals, and head-to-head pitcher stats.
The 500 home run club may have lost some of its automatic Hall of Fame meaning during the steroid era, but it remains the gold-standard career milestone for the greatest power hitters in baseball history.
— Drew, Legion Report
