List of Major League Baseball leaders in home runs by pitchers

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 plate 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][9] Red Ruffing, Earl Wilson, and Don Drysdale are the only other pitchers to hit at least 25 home runs.[10][11][12] Jack Stivetts hit a total of 35 home runs in his playing career, 21 as a pitcher.[13] Ferrell and Ruffing also rank among the top pitchers in batting average, hitting .280 and .269, respectively.[14]
As of the 2025 season, Shohei Ohtani holds the lead among all active pitchers with 9 (he has 231 total HRs, but 220 were hit as a designated hitter and 2 were as a pinch hitter).[15] Carlos Zambrano has hit the most home runs by a pitcher since the American League adopted the designated hitter rule in 1973. Starting with the 2022 season, the National League also adopted the designated hitter rule, so most pitchers will no longer bat, except two-way players, such as Ohtani.
Ferrell, who had a career slash line of .280/.351/.446, had his best offensive year in 1931, when he set the single-season record for home runs by a pitcher with nine.[6][16] The record had previously been held by Stivetts, who had hit seven in 1890.[13] Since 1931, six different pitchers have hit seven home runs in a season: Ferrell, Lemon, Don Newcombe, Don Drysdale (twice), Wilson, and Mike Hampton.[17][8][11][12][18][19]
Babe Ruth started his major league career as a pitcher before moving to the outfield. Only 14 of his 714 career home runs were hit as a pitcher, however.[20]
The first pitcher to officially hit a home run was Jack Manning, who accomplished the feat on August 3, 1876.[21] The most home runs by a pitcher in a single game is three, achieved by Jim Tobin on May 13, 1942.[22]
Career
[edit]All-time
[edit]


†
|
Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
---|---|
Bold | Denotes active player.[a] |
Player | Home runs | Career total | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wes Ferrell | 37 | 38 | Hit one home run as a pinch hitter. | [17] |
Bob Lemon† | 35 | 37 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [8] |
Warren Spahn† | 35 | 35 | [9] | |
Red Ruffing† | 34 | 36 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [10] |
Earl Wilson | 33 | 35 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [11] |
Don Drysdale† | 29 | 29 | [12] | |
John Clarkson† | 24 | 24 | [23] | |
Bob Gibson† | 24 | 24 | [24] | |
Carlos Zambrano | 24 | 24 | [25] | |
Walter Johnson† | 23 | 24 | Hit one home run as a pinch hitter. | [26] |
Jack Stivetts | 21 | 35 | Hit 11 home runs while playing various other positions and three as a pinch hitter. | [13] |
Milt Pappas | 20 | 20 | [27] | |
Dizzy Trout | 20 | 20 | [28] | |
Jack Harshman | 19 | 21 | Hit two home runs as a first baseman. | [29] |
Madison Bumgarner | 19 | 19 | [30] | |
Cy Young† | 18 | 18 | [31] | |
Schoolboy Rowe | 16 | 18 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [32] |
Jim Tobin | 16 | 17 | Hit one home run as a pinch hitter. | [22] |
Jim Kaat† | 16 | 16 | [33] | |
Mike Hampton | 16 | 16 | [19] | |
Jouett Meekin | 15 | 15 | [34] | |
Hal Schumacher | 15 | 15 | [35] | |
Lefty Grove† | 15 | 15 | [36] | |
Claude Passeau | 15 | 15 | [37] | |
Joe Nuxhall | 15 | 15 | [38] | |
Early Wynn† | 15 | 17 | Hit two home runs as a pinch hitter. | [39] |
Don Newcombe | 15 | 15 | [18] | |
Dick Donovan | 15 | 15 | [40] | |
Don Cardwell | 15 | 15 | [41] | |
Pedro Ramos | 15 | 15 | [42] | |
Rick Wise | 15 | 15 | [43] | |
Gary Peters | 15 | 19 | Hit four home runs as a pinch hitter | [44] |
Single-season
[edit]

†
|
Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
---|---|
Bold | Denotes active player.[a] |
Progression of the single-season record
[edit]
Player | Home runs | Year | Team | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jack Manning | 1 | 1876 | Boston Red Caps | Tied by Jim Devlin (1877),[49] Terry Larkin (1877),[50] and John Montgomery Ward (1878).[51] | [21] |
John Montgomery Ward† | 2 | 1879 | Providence Grays | [51] | |
Jim Whitney | 4 | 1882 | Boston Red Caps | Tied by John Clarkson (1885).[23] | [52] |
John Clarkson† | 6 | 1887 | Chicago White Stockings | [23] | |
Jack Stivetts | 7 | 1890 | St. Louis Browns | [13] | |
Wes Ferrell | 9 | 1931 | Cleveland Indians | [17] |
Single-game
[edit]Player | Team | Home Runs | Date | Opposing team | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jim Tobin | Boston Braves | 3 | May 13, 1942 | Chicago Cubs | [22] |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Official Baseball Rule, 6.09 (d), page 61
- ^ Official Baseball Rule, 7.05 (a), page 66
- ^ a b Lundman, Susan. "Definition of a Home Run". livestrong.com. Demand Media, Inc. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ^ Paul Dickson (2011-06-13). The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (Third ed.). W. W. Norton. p. 426. ISBN 978-0-393-34008-2.
- ^ "Major League Baseball Official Rules: 7.00 The Runner". mlb.com. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
- ^ a b Vincent, David (Spring 2012). "Pitchers Dig the Long Ball". The Baseball Research Journal. 41 (1). The Society for American Baseball Research: 7. ISBN 978-1-933599-32-8. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ Elman, Jake (June 21, 2010). "Which Pitchers Hit the Most Home Runs in MLB History?". Broadcasting. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Bob Lemon career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b "Warren Spahn career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b "Red Ruffing career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f "Earl Wilson career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Don Drysdale career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Jack Stivetts career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ Davids, L. Robert (1979). "Career Batting Records: From Great Hitting Pitchers" (PDF). SABR. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 26, 2017.
- ^ "Shohei Ohtani". Fangraphs. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ Johnson, Frank (October 10, 2018). "Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Pitcher Hits Triple!". The Hardball Times. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Wes Ferrell career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Don Newcombe career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Mike Hampton career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Babe Ruth career home runs". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "Jack Manning career home runs". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Jim Tobin career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "John Clarkson career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Bob Gibson career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b "Carlos Zambrano career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ "Walter Johnson career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Milt Pappas career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Dizzy Trout career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Jack Harshman career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Madison Bumgarner career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
- ^ "Cy Young career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Schoolboy Rowe career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Jim Kaat career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Jouett Meekin career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b "Hal Schumacher career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Lefty Grove career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Claude Passeau career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Joe Nuxhall career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Early Wynn career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Dick Donovan career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Don Cardwell career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Pedro Ramos career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b "Rick Wise career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Gary Peters career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Statistics". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ "Bill Hutchison career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
- ^ "Ferguson Jenkins career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Sonny Siebert career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Jim Devlin career home runs". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ "Terry Larkin career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ a b "John Montgomery Ward career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ "Jim Whitney career home runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
Bibliography
[edit]- Official Baseball Rules (PDF). Major League Baseball. 2011. p. 130.