List of Major League Baseball all-time leaders in home runs by pitchers

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A baseball player is shown on a baseball card.
Wes Ferrell holds both the career and season records for home runs by a pitcher.

In baseball, a home run (HR) is typically a fair hit that passes over an outfield fence or into the stands at a distance from home base of 250 feet or more, which entitles the batter to legally touch all bases and score without liability.[1][2] Atypically, a batter who hits a fair ball and touches each base in succession from 1st to home, without an error being charged to a defensive player, is credited with an inside-the-park home run.[3][4] If, during a play, defensive or fan interference is called, and the awarded bases allow the batter to cross home plate, the batter is credited with a home run.[3][5]

Wes Ferrell holds the all-time Major League Baseball record for home runs hit while playing the position of pitcher. He hit 37 as a pitcher.[6] Baseball Hall of Famers Bob Lemon and Warren Spahn are tied for second with 35 career home runs apiece.[7][8] Red Ruffing, Earl Wilson, and Don Drysdale are the only other pitchers to hit at least 25 home runs.[9][10][11] Jack Stivetts hit a total of 35 home runs in his playing career, 21 as a pitcher.[12] Yovani Gallardo, with 12 home runs, holds the lead among all active pitchers.[13]

Ferrell also holds the single-season record for home runs by a pitcher, with nine, a mark that he reached in 1931.[6] The record had previously been held by Stivetts, who had hit seven in 1890.[12] Since 1931, six different pitchers have hit seven home runs in a season: Ferrell, Lemon, Don Newcombe, Don Drysdale (twice), Wilson, and Mike Hampton.[6][7][10][11][14][15]

The first pitcher to officially hit a home run was Jack Manning, who accomplished the feat on August 3, 1876.[16] The most home runs by a pitcher in a single game is three, achieved by Jim Tobin on May 13, 1942.[17]

Career

All-time

A baseball player is shown his chest up, holding a baseball with his right hand.
Bob Lemon hit 35 of his 37 career home runs as a pitcher.
A baseball player is shown leaning forward as if in the act of throwing a baseball.
Warren Spahn hit all 35 of his career home runs as a pitcher.
A baseball player is shown from the chest up smiling into the camera.
Walter Johnson hit 23 of his 24 career home runs as a pitcher.
Key to symbols in player table
HOF
 Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
§
 Active player
Most home runs by a pitcher in a career, and their career total including home runs at other positions
Player Home runs Career total Notes Ref
Wes Ferrell 37 38 Hit one home run as a pinch hitter. [6]
Bob LemonHall of Fame 35 37 Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. [7]
Warren SpahnHall of Fame 35 35 [8]
Red RuffingHall of Fame 34 36 Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. [9]
Earl Wilson 33 35 Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. [10]
Don DrysdaleHall of Fame 29 29 [11]
John ClarksonHall of Fame 24 24 [18]
Bob GibsonHall of Fame 24 24 [19]
Carlos Zambrano 24 24 [20]
Walter JohnsonHall of Fame 23 24 Hit one home run as a pinch hitter. [21]
Jack Stivetts 21 35 Hit 11 home runs while playing various other positions and three as a pinch hitter. [12]
Milt Pappas 20 20 [22]
Dizzy Trout 20 20 [23]
Jack Harshman 19 21 Hit two home runs as a first baseman. [24]
Cy YoungHall of Fame 18 18 [25]
Schoolboy Rowe 16 18 Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. [26]
Jim Tobin 16 17 Hit one home run as a pinch hitter. [17]
Jim Kaat 16 16 [27]
Mike Hampton 16 16 [15]
Jouett Meekin 15 15 [28]
Hal Schumacher 15 15 [29]
Lefty GroveHall of Fame 15 15 [30]
Claude Passeau 15 15 [31]
Joe Nuxhall 15 15 [32]
Early WynnHall of Fame 15 17 Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. [33]
Don Newcombe 15 15 [14]
Dick Donovan 15 15 [34]
Don Cardwell 15 15 [35]
Pedro Ramos 15 15 [36]
Rick Wise 15 15 [37]
Gary Peters 15 19 Hit four home runs as a pinch hitter [38]

Active

An action photograph of a baseball player pitching a baseball.
Yovani Gallardo, to date, has 12 home runs as a pitcher.
Most home runs in a career by active pitchers, and their career total including home runs at other positions
Player Home runs Career total Notes Ref
Yovani Gallardo§ 12 12 [13]
Madison Bumgarner§ 11 11 [39]
Travis Wood§ 9 9 [40]
Micah Owings§ 7 9 Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. [41]
Bronson Arroyo§ 6 6 [42]
Matt Cain§ 6 6 [43]
Zack Greinke§ 6 6 [44]
Adam Wainwright§ 6 6 [45]
  • Statistics obtained from MLB.com.[46] Updated through August 16, 2015.

Single-season

A full body photograph of a baseball player in uniform.
Jack Stivetts hit 7 home runs, as a pitcher, in 1890.
A full body photograph of a baseball player in uniform in a pitching motion.
Mike Hampton hit 7 home runs in 2001 for the Colorado Rockies.
Key to symbols in player table
HOF
 Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
§
 Active player
Most home runs by a pitcher in a season, their total home runs, year, and team
Player Home runs Season total Year Team Ref
Wes Ferrell 9 9 1931 Cleveland Indians [6]
Jack Stivetts 7 7 1890 St. Louis Browns [12]
Wes Ferrell 7 7 1933 Cleveland Indians [6]
Bob LemonHall of Fame 7 7 1949 Cleveland Indians [7]
Don Newcombe 7 7 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers [14]
Don DrysdaleHall of Fame 7 7 1958 Los Angeles Dodgers [11]
Don DrysdaleHall of Fame 7 7 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers [11]
Earl Wilson 7 7 1968 Detroit Tigers [10]
Mike Hampton 7 7 2001 Colorado Rockies [15]
John ClarksonHall of Fame 6 6 1887 Chicago White Stockings [18]
Bill Hutchinson 6 6 1894 Chicago Colts [47]
Hal Schumacher 6 6 1934 New York Giants [29]
Wes Ferrell 6 7 1935 Boston Red Sox [6]
Jack Harshman 6 6 1956 Chicago White Sox [24]
Jack Harshman 6 6 1958 Baltimore Orioles [24]
Earl Wilson 6 6 1965 Boston Red Sox [10]
Earl Wilson 6 7 1966 Boston Red Sox/Detroit Tigers [10]
Ferguson JenkinsHall of Fame 6 6 1971 Chicago Cubs [48]
Sonny Siebert 6 6 1971 Boston Red Sox [49]
Rick Wise 6 6 1971 Philadelphia Phillies [37]
Carlos Zambrano 6 6 2006 Chicago Cubs [20]

Progression of the single-season record

A baseball player is shown attempting to catch a baseball.
John Clarkson tied the single-season record in 1885 with four, then broke it by hitting six in 1887.
Progression of the single-season home run record by a pitcher, their home run total, year, and team
Player Home runs Year Team Notes Ref
Jack Manning 1 1876 Boston Red Caps Tied by Jim Devlin (1877),[50] Terry Larkin (1877),[51] and John Montgomery Ward (1878).[52] [16]
John Montgomery WardHall of Fame 2 1879 Providence Grays [52]
Jim Whitney 4 1882 Boston Red Caps Tied by John Clarkson (1885).[18] [53]
John ClarksonHall of Fame 6 1887 Chicago White Stockings [18]
Jack Stivetts 7 1890 St. Louis Browns [12]
Wes Ferrell 9 1931 Cleveland Indians [6]

Single-game

Most home runs by a pitcher in a game, team, home runs, date of game, and opposing team
Player Team Home Runs Date Opposing team Ref
Jim Tobin Boston Braves 3 May 13, 1942 Chicago Cubs [17]

References

  1. ↑ Official Baseball Rule, 6.09 (d), page 61
  2. ↑ Official Baseball Rule, 7.05 (a), page 66
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ "Major League Baseball Official Rules: 7.00 The Runner". mlb.com. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Bibliography

  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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