Players with a homer in at least 40 ballparks

May 3rd, 2023

With 30 clubs in the Majors, and even accounting for the eruption of new ballparks that have been built since the 1990s, it seems borderline impossible that a player could have hit a home run at 40 different parks.

But dig a little deeper and you'll find that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, eight players have gone deep in at least 40 stadiums, a list that includes three Hall of Famers. Here is a look at this distinguished list.

: 45 ballparks
Most HR at: Wrigley Field (293)

Nearly half of Sosa's 609 career homers came at Wrigley, and he didn't go deep more than 21 times at any other other ballpark. Yet he spread the wealth around. It's funny that Sosa launched his first MLB homer for the Rangers at Fenway Park on June 21, 1989 (off Roger Clemens, no less). He was traded soon after and didn't homer in Boston again until 2005, as a member of the Orioles. Sosa's third and final Fenway big fly was No. 602 of his career -- and he hit it while back in a Rangers uniform in 2007.

: 44 ballparks
Most HR at: Kingdome (198)

Griffey's top four home run parks -- accounting for 333 of his 630 total homers -- were all in either Seattle or Cincinnati, which certainly makes sense. Among ballparks he did not call home at any point, the Metrodome was Griffey's favorite launching pad (26 homers in 70 games there as a Twins antagonist).

: 43 ballparks
Most HR at: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium (58)

McGriff bounced around over the course of his Hall of Fame career, suiting up for six franchises but not playing more than five seasons for any of them. So it makes sense that while he didn't rack up a huge total at any one park, he reached double digits at 16 of them while finishing with 493 homers. The Crime Dog loved hitting at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, where he socked 21 dingers in just 57 games -- a 59-homer pace.

: 42 ballparks
Most HR at: Turner Field (166)

Jones' first three career homers came at Fulton County Stadium in 1996, before the Braves moved to Turner Field the next year. More than 38% of Jones' 434 career big flies ultimately came in that ballpark. He didn't hit more than 17 at any other venue while also missing out on two golden opportunities to add to his total. Jones went homerless at both Detroit's Comerica Park (13 games) and Cleveland's Progressive Field (12 games).

: 42 ballparks
Most HR at: Sun Life Stadium (68)

Unlike McGriff, Sheffield was able to sneak over the 500-homer plateau, finishing at 509. But like McGriff, he did it while bouncing around from team to team. Sun Life Stadium, former home of the Marlins, barely edged out Dodger Stadium (64) at the top of his list. Somehow, though, Sheffield's electric bat went dead at Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field, where he went homerless over 22 games and 95 plate appearances across five different seasons.

: 41 ballparks
Most HR at: Coors Field (57)

Here's one that might surprise you. Burks is definitely the most low-profile name in this club, and his 352 career homers is relatively modest compared with his peers here. But Burks played for five teams over 18 MLB seasons (1987-2004) -- and at an opportune time of new ballpark construction. While Burks spent the most time at Fenway Park (49 HR), his .626 slugging percentage at Coors Field more than made up for that. He also went deep seven times at its predecessor, Mile High Stadium.

: 40 ballparks
Most HR at: Shea Stadium (105)

Of the Hall of Fame catcher's 427 homers, close to half came at Shea or Dodger Stadium (92). Piazza was also opportunistic though, going deep exactly once at eight different stadiums, including four in which he played no more than three games: Guaranteed Rate Field, the Kingdome, Kauffman Stadium and the Tokyo Dome (where the Mets opened the 2000 season against the Cubs).

: 40 ballparks
Most HR at: Busch Stadium (122)

That would be the current version of Busch Stadium, but Pujols also hit 94 at the previous version, which lasted until 2005. He hit 110 at Angel Stadium for good measure. Three visiting parks also hosted at least 30 Pujols roundtrippers, including Pittsburgh's PNC Park, where Pujols blasted 35 in less than 400 at-bats. The man didn't crack the 700 mark by accident.

: 40 ballparks
Most HR at: Globe Life Park (120)

To what degree did Beltré's Hall of Fame-caliber career reach another level after he joined the Rangers in 2011? Compare his homers per game at the three ballparks he called home for significant stretches of his career: 5.0 G/HR at Texas' Globe Life Park versus 7.4 at Dodger Stadium and 7.6 at Seattle's T-Mobile Park.