Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, and Aaron Judge: Who Is the True Home Run King?

From Ruth’s 60 home runs to Bonds’ 73 and Judge’s 62, adjusted stats like OPS+ and ISO reveal a different story of power, dominance, and legacy.

Amidst the celebration of Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run in 2022 is the lingering question of baseball’s “true” home run king. For many, Judge’s accomplishment represented a restoration of order, a return to the days of Roger Maris and Babe Ruth, when home run records carried the weight of legitimacy. Yet, as is often the case in baseball’s history, the truth is more complicated. Records alone rarely tell the whole story. When adjusted metrics, specifically OPS+ , which accounts for league averages and park effects, and ISO are applied, the picture shifts. Judge’s season belongs not in conversation with Maris, but with Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds, two men whose offensive dominance transcended their generations.

Babe Ruth: The Iconic Benchmark

In 1927, Ruth set the record with 60 home runs, a mark that stood until Maris surpassed it in 1961. His OPS+ that season was 225 and an ISO of .417, an extraordinary figure that reflected his superiority within the context of the league. Surrounded by “Murderers’ Row,” Ruth was the centerpiece of the most dominant team in baseball history, and his 60 home runs became the standard for greatness.

Yet, one must note that 1927 was not Ruth’s statistical peak. In 1920, he hit only 54 home runs, but his OPS+ was 255—a figure unequaled until Bonds. Not to mention, Ruth had an ISO of .472. No other player even reached 20 home runs that year. Ruth was not merely leading the league; he was revolutionizing it. His 1920 dominance remains the purest example of what it means to redefine an era.

Barry Bonds: Record and Infamy

Barry Bonds’ 73 home runs in 2001 remain the single-season record. His OPS+ that year was 259, surpassing Ruth’s 1920 figure and establishing the most productive offensive season in history. Bonds’ ISO in 2001 was an astounding .536. One of the greatest power-hitting displays in baseball history. Bonds walked 177 times, many intentionally, because pitchers simply refused to challenge him.

Yet Bonds’ record cannot be divorced from the steroid era. The shadow of performance-enhancing drugs leaves his achievements tarnished in the eyes of many. Even so, the statistical dominance is undeniable. Bonds, like Ruth, was operating on a plane his contemporaries could not touch. That reality cannot be erased, regardless of one’s judgment of the man or the era.

Aaron Judge: A Modern Standard

Judge’s 62 home runs in 2022 were historic not only because they broke Maris’ American League record but because of their context. His OPS+ of 211 placed him far above Maris’ 167 in 1961 and his ISO of .375 was in elite company. In an age of advanced scouting, specialized bullpens, and globalized talent, Judge distinguished himself as the singular power bat of his generation.

His achievement should not be flattened into a simple narrative of surpassing Maris. Judge’s dominance belongs in conversation with Ruth’s 1927 and Bonds’ 2001. If Maris symbolized a record, Judge symbolized an outlier, an individual season of historic weight measured not only by raw totals but by relative production.

Conclusion: The Measure of Greatness

The crown of home run supremacy depends on the criteria. If it is sheer numbers, Bonds wears it. If it is era dominance, Ruth remains untouchable. If it is modern legitimacy, Judge stands as the model. Maris, though symbolic, fades when statistical dominance is considered.

Even more telling is what this debate reveals about the game itself. Baseball has always been a sport where numbers alone can mislead. Greatness requires context, and context demands interpretation. OPS+ does not end the argument, but it clarifies it: Ruth, Bonds, and Judge are the true titans of power hitting. Each stands alone in his era, each reshaped the game, and each leaves us with a question that will not soon be answered: what, in the end, defines a king?