Call to the pen
Fansided

New York Yankees hit 250th HR, join elite group of five teams

By Bobby Mueller

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 21: Luke Voit #45 of the New York Yankees celebrates after hitting a two-run single in the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 21: Luke Voit #45 of the New York Yankees celebrates after hitting a two-run single in the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: Tomasso Derosa /Allsport
Mandatory Credit: Tomasso Derosa /Allsport /

1997 Seattle Mariners, 264 HR

~Finished 1st in NL West (90-72), lost in LDS

~5.7 percent of MLB total HR hit that season

~109 more HR than the average team

~9 players with double-digit dongs

It may be surprising to learn that the Seattle Mariners hit more home runs than any team in baseball in the decade of the 1990s. They started slowly in 1990 and 1991, finishing 19th and 15th in baseball in dingers, but would finish in the top 10 in home runs each of the next eight years.

From 1996 to 1999, the Mariners led the league in home runs three times and finished second once. During this stretch, they averaged nearly 247 home runs per season. Balls were flying out of the park with regularity at the old Kingdome.

Their home run peak was the record-setting 1997 season, when they launched 264 round-trippers. Nine players had 11 or more home runs, with Ken Griffey, Jr. leading the way with 56 bombs, including two on Opening Day. This was peak power Griffey. He would hit 56 again the next season.

Griffey’s partner in crime, Jay Buhner, hit 40 home runs in 1997. It was one of three straight 40-HR seasons for Bone. Paul Sorrento hit 31, which was a career high. Edgar Martinez (28), Alex Rodriguez (23) and Russ Davis (20) all launched 20 or more.

Catcher Dan Wilson wasn’t known for his power, but he hit 15 this season after hitting 18 the year before. Rookie Jose Cruz, Jr. hit 12 homers in just 198 plate appearances before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for relief pitchers Paul Spoljaric and Mike Timlin. Cruz would hit another 14 in 244 plate appearances that year with the Blue Jays. Finally, little Joey Cora had the best home run season of his career, with 11 taters. The most he hit in any other season was six.

After leading the league again in 1998 and 1999, the Mariners dropped to 12th in baseball in home runs in 2000 and 18th in 2001. A big part of the drop was their move to pitcher-friendly Safeco Field in July of 1999. After leading baseball in home runs in the 1990s, the Mariners were 26th in home runs in the 2000s.

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