Home runs are one of the most exciting plays in baseball. Seeing a batter crush a ball over the outfield fence for a home run can change the entire momentum of a game in an instant. While home run kings like Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth are celebrated for their incredible power hitting, less attention is given to the batters at the other end of the spectrum – those with the fewest career home runs in MLB history.
What is considered a low career home run total?
In the modern era of baseball (since 1901), even light-hitting batters tend to hit at least 20-30 home runs over a full career. However, throughout MLB history there have been many position players who played for years but managed only a handful of career homers.
Generally, a career total under 10 home runs is considered extremely low for a non-pitcher. Even the lightest-hitting regular players typically manage 10+ homers over a number of seasons. Only a few percent of position players have ended their careers with fewer than 10 long balls.
Who are some of the players with the fewest career home runs in MLB history?
Here are some of the players with the lowest career home run totals in MLB history:
- Bill Bergen – 1 HR in 11 MLB seasons
- Frank Taveras – 1 HR in 10 MLB seasons
- Jack Crooks – 2 HRs in 7 MLB seasons
- Doc Gautreau – 2 HRs in 8 MLB seasons
- Rich Morales – 2 HRs in 7 MLB seasons
- Al Nixon – 2 HRs in 10 MLB seasons
- Gary Holle – 3 HRs in 12 MLB seasons
- Gary Holman – 3 HRs in 10 MLB seasons
- John Bateman – 3 HRs in 12 MLB seasons
- Rey Quinones – 3 HRs in 8 MLB seasons
As you can see, the players with the fewest homers in MLB history almost all finished their careers with 3 or fewer long balls. The “leader” in futility was Bill Bergen, who hit just 1 home run in over 3,500 career plate appearances spread across 11 seasons.
Bill Bergen – Longest career with 1 home run
Catcher Bill Bergen played in the major leagues from 1901 to 1911, mostly for the Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers. During his 11-year career spanning over 900 games, Bergen stepped to the plate 3,028 times. Yet he managed to hit just a single home run, an inside-the-park homer in 1909 off Pirates pitcher Howie Camnitz.
That one home run came in Bergen’s next-to-last MLB season. For the majority of his career, he lived up to his reputation as a light-hitting defensive specialist behind the plate. Bergen is the all-time record holder for at-bats per home run, at 3,028. Even most pitchers have a better ratio than that!
Frank Taveras – 10 seasons, 1 home run
Shortstop Frank Taveras played in the majors from 1971 to 1980 for the Pirates, Mets, and Expos. In 737 career games, Taveras came to the plate 2,170 times yet managed just a single home run. That homer came in 1977 while playing for the Mets, a solo shot off Cardinals pitcher John Denny.
Taveras was known for his slick fielding and speed on the basepaths, stealing 212 bases in his career. But his lack of power at the plate was astonishing for an everyday player. His at-bats per home run rate of 2,170 is the second highest in MLB history among non-pitchers.
Light-hitting players with 2 career home runs
Only a handful of position players have ended their MLB careers with just 2 total home runs. This dubious list includes:
- Jack Crooks (2 HRs in 543 career at-bats)
- Doc Gautreau (2 HRs in 1,380 career at-bats)
- Rich Morales (2 HRs in 526 career at-bats)
- Al Nixon (2 HRs in 1,786 career at-bats)
Jack Crooks played just 7 major league seasons from 1924 to 1931, but he made the most of his limited opportunities by hitting 2 homers and having a career on-base percentage of .352. Doc Gautreau logged over 1,300 at-bats from 1929 to 1936 but had little pop in his bat, evidenced by his 2 career long balls. Rich Morales and Al Nixon were utility players in the 1960s and 70s who found at-bats hard to come by, finishing with 2 homers apiece.
Light-hitting batters with 3 career home runs
Some of the players with only 3 career home runs include:
| Player | Seasons | At-Bats |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Holle | 1979-1991 | 617 |
| Gary Holman | 1974-1984 | 829 |
| John Bateman | 1963-1975 | 1,595 |
| Rey Quinones | 1986-1993 | 1,304 |
This foursome all had lengthy careers but lacked any semblance of power. Backup catcher Gary Holle hit 3 homers in 12 MLB seasons. Utility outfielder Gary Holman hit 3 big flies in over 800 at-bats over 10 seasons. Catcher John Bateman hit just 3 balls out of the park in almost 1,600 career at-bats. Shortstop Rey Quinones hit 3 homers in over 1,300 at-bats from 1986 to 1993.
Are any current MLB players on pace for fewest home runs?
Among current MLB players, is anyone threatening to join this list of fewest career home runs?
A few active players are currently pacing to finish their careers with very low home run totals:
- Jose Altuve (8 HRs in 8 seasons)
- Dee Gordon (33 HRs in 10 seasons)
- Billy Hamilton (40 HRs in 8 seasons)
- Jarrod Dyson (46 HRs in 12 seasons)
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has hit just 8 homers so far in his 8-year career, but he still projects to easily surpass 10+ for his career since he is currently in his prime. Leadoff specialist Dee Gordon has only 33 homers so far, but the speedster has 135 stolen bases just in the past 3 seasons, so his lack of power can be excused.
Outfielders Billy Hamilton and Jarrod Dyson however have consistently shown very little power throughout their careers so far. Their career home run paces of 5 per season (Hamilton) and 4 per season (Dyson) could leave them among the all-time low totals for home runs if they retired today.
Why did these players hit so few home runs?
For most of these light-hitting batters, a low home run total can be attributed to some combination of:
- Lack of power and extra-base hit ability
- Poor hitting mechanics and approach
- Not being a full-time regular player
- Speed and defense valued over power
Many of these players were either backups or part-time starters who did not get the consistent at-bats to accumulate home runs. But even accounting for that, their sheer lack of power was evident compared to their peers. Without lifting balls regularly, home runs are hard to come by.
For speedsters like Taveras, Hamilton, and Dyson, their offensive value has come more from stolen bases, batting average, and defense rather than power. Teams were willing to carry them as starters despite their lack of pop.
Bill Bergen – the worst hitter in MLB history?
In Bill Bergen’s case, his abysmal hitting appears to simply have been a product of extreme ineptitude. Despite a lengthy career as a starting catcher, Bergen was one of the worst hitters ever. He had a career OPS of just .395 and batted above .200 just once in 11 seasons.
Bergen’s career batting average of .170 is the lowest in MLB history among qualified batters. He struck out 413 times while drawing only 142 walks. While home runs were less frequent during his Deadball Era career, Bergen’s total lack of power is astounding. His lone inside-the-park homer accounted for over half of his career extra-base hits!
Effects of rising home run numbers in modern MLB
As home runs have become increasingly more common in the modern era of MLB, a career total of less than 10 is exceedingly rare nowadays. No position player has finished with fewer than 5 homers since the 1980s.
The rise of specialization, improved training methods, harder baseballs, and other factors have made hitting home runs easier than ever. In the past decade, the league-wide rate of homers per game has nearly doubled compared to Bergen and Taveras’ eras. Essentially no full-time players hit as weakly as those old-timers did.
Just look at the homer output of today’s diminutive contact hitters like Altuve, Michael Brantley or Tim Anderson – they each far eclipse the career totals of light-hitting predecessors from a century ago.
While some speed-focused batters still don’t hit for much power, they at least clear the fences a handful of times per season. Purely light-hitting specialists have essentially disappeared as everyday players in modern MLB.
Conclusion
In the century-plus history of major league baseball, there have been some remarkably weak power hitters. Players like Bill Bergen, Frank Taveras, and others posted incredible career lows in home runs for everyday position players. While 5 to 10 homers in a career is considered very low by today’s standards, those early players took light hitting to extremes rarely seen on MLB rosters today.