Fans Want the Homerun, Get it in June
Going into Friday night, major league hitters had blasted a total of 1,068 homeruns in the month of June. That mark was one shy of the record set in May of 2000. With a whole day’s worth of action left, it was only a matter of time before that record would be broken.
It was Giants’ outfielder Denard Span that kicked off the proceedings, tying the May 2000 total (1,068) by taking a pitch by Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole and sending it into the bleachers. Not long after that, it was the Blue Jays’ Justin Smoak, hitting off of Boston’s Doug Fister, blasting his 22nd dinger of the year to set the new single-month record with baseball’s 1,069th homerun in the month of June. By the night’s end, 33 homeruns had been hit to set the new record total at 1,101.
June 2017 featured four individual days where there were at least 50 homeruns hit. June 17 had the most for a single day (56), with two games having eight apiece (Cardinals/Orioles, Brewers/Padres).
There was a litany of excellent individual efforts as well. Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger had 4 of the 77 total individual multi-homerun games in the month of June. Cincinnati Reds’ second baseman Scooter Gennett had the most memorable of the multi-HR efforts this month. On June 6, Gennett became the 17th player in history to tally a four homerun game in a 13-1 blowout of St. Louis.
The aforementioned Cody Bellinger led the majors in June with 13 homers. Houston’s George Springer came in second with 11, while Smoak and the Yankees Aaron Judge brought up the rear with 10 apiece.
Three teams set or tied franchise records for homeruns in a single month. The Dodgers set a new mark with 53, leading the majors. Also setting a franchise record with 50 was the New York Mets. The Milwaukee Brewers tied a previous franchise record with 49.
All of this was good news for hitters, not so much for pitchers. This especially goes for the Cubs’ John Lackey, who gave up 11 homeruns in 6 starts this month, leading the majors. As a team both the Reds and the Orioles allowed 54 homeruns apiece, leading the majors.
All-in-all, most people have to be excited about this. Despite being in the “post-steroids era,” major league hitters are still finding ways to wow us with the long ball. As the season progresses and the weather heats up, only time will tell how long the record total in June 2017 will stand.
Most HR in a single month
- June 2017: 1,101
- May 2000: 1,069
- May 2017: 1,060
- August 2016: 1,053
- September/October 2015: 1,034
- August 2004: 1,033
- September/October 1999: 1,018
- June 2016: 1,012
- June 2001, September/October 2004: 997
