This MLB season, we saw two players reach milestones in their home run hitting careers. Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th home run, moving him up to 6th on the all time list. Albert Pujols became the third youngest player in baseball history to join the 400 HR club behind A-Rod and Ken Griffey Jr.
Since the Barry Bonds steroids scandal, most experts still acknowledge Hank Aaron’s 755 home runs as the legitimate record. However, there are a few players currently in the league that could top his number in the future.
First is Rodriguez. The steroid allegations surrounding A-Rod may eventually knock him out of contention, but for now he’s still in the chase. At the age of 34, he has 613 career home runs, and is showing no signs of slowing down. In his 14 years in the league, A-Rod has averaged 43 home runs a season. If he continues to produce at this level, it will take him only four years to break the record.
My second pick for the next home run king is the best player in the MLB: Albert Pujols. Pujols has never put up massive numbers in a single season like Bonds or Mark McGuire. However, you have to understand that he doesn’t have a power-hitter’s swing has never been linked to steroids.
Players like Bonds and A-Rod take hard down swings on the ball to propel it upward at a ridiculous velocity. These swings result in high flying home runs and require enormous strength, as well as a ridiculously quick bat speed. Many players took steroids in order to be capable of hitting these kinds of home runs.
Pujols has the perfect swing. Coaches who teach the fundamentals of batting aim to create a level swing with great bat speed. Pujols is the ideal hitter; he rotates his whole body and brings the bat straight across his chest to create what appears to be an effortless and smooth swing.
Pujols is essentially a long line drive hitter. His swing will allow him to be consistent for years to come and he will not lose any of his power. However, he will still need to put in work to take the record. First, he needs to go to an American League team. On an AL team, he can move to DH and focus solely on his hitting. He is one of the best first basemen in the game today, but the rigors of playing the infield can shorten a player’s career. Most of the home run leaders have been outfielders, whose positions allowed them to stay in great shape through their running exercises.
Second, he needs to improve his endurance. Pujols loves the game of baseball, but to break the record, he is going to have to stick around a lot longer in the league. Aaron played for 23 seasons and Bonds played until he was 42 years old, while still hitting at least 20 home runs a season. When one sees Pujols, they see how great of shape he is in. If he keeps in great condition through his forties, he shouldn’t have any trouble breaking the record.
Finally, he needs to stay healthy. There have been numerous players whose careers have been cut short and damaged by injuries. There is one player that I feel like I have to recognize in this article. The man who should easily be the home run king, Ken Griffey Jr.
Griffey is number five on the all time list with 630 career home runs. But his career has been nothing short of tragic. As a center fielder, he was always at the risk of colliding with the wall or even other players. Unfortunately, this happened frequently throughout his career. He has also pulled his hamstring five times in his career. Had it not been for these unfortunate and somewhat clumsy incidents, Griffey would have easily passed Aaron and set the bar even higher.
A-Rod will eventually get there and break record, but the steroids have tarnished his name and his accomplishments will probably be disregarded. But if he stays healthy and has a long and consistent career, there is no reason why Pujols would not be the next person to pass Aaron to hold the home run record.