ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 14: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field on April 14, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
MLB history: At what age are the most prolific home run hitters this century?
Through the games of April 14 this season, there were 30 MLB players who have hit four or more home runs in 2023. Of those 30, nearly half (14) are age 26-30.
That range pretty much matches up to the age of the most prolific home run hitters in Major League Baseball this century.
Going back to 2000, there have been 672 players who hit 30 or more home runs in a season; that averages out to about 29 players each season hitting 30 or more home runs. Of those 672 sluggers, just over half (50.8 percent) were in their 26-30 age season when they hit those 30-plus home runs.
(For the record, a player’s age is noted as the age of that player on June 30 of the season.)
Age of MLB players with 30+ home runs this century
Here is a breakdown of how many MLB players from age 20 to 40 hit 30 or more home runs in a season from 2000 to 2022.
Age Players with 30+ HRs
20 2
21 5
22 12
23 20
24 36
25 58
26 66
27 69
28 67
29 71
30 69
31 46
32 35
33 30
34 25
35 22
36 12
37 15
38 6
39 4
40 2
If we break down these numbers even further, we see that 39 sluggers were in the 36-40 age group (5.8 percent), 158 were in the 31-35 age group (23.5 percent), 342 were in the 26-30 age group (50.8 percent) and 133 were in the 20-25 age group (19.8 percent).
Age of players with 30+ home runs in 2022
Last year there were 23 players with 30 or more home runs. Fourteen of them were in the 26-30 age group, 60.5 percent of the group. Aaron Judge, who established a new American League record last season with 62 home runs on his way to winning AL Most Valuable Player honors, was among that group.
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In case you were wondering, the two players who hit 30-plus home runs at age 20 were Juan Soto (34 in 2019) and Mike Trout (30 in 2012). The two players who hit 30-plus home runs at age 40 were Nelson Cruz (32 in 2021) and David Ortiz (38 in 2016).
