Mickey Mantle Franchise Home Run Record (536)

Lore & Background

Mantle is the only player to hit 150 home runs from each side of the plate. He won the Triple Crown in 1956, leading the major leagues in batting average (.353), home runs (52), and runs batted in (RBI) (130). He holds World Series records for the most home runs (18), RBIs (40), extra-base hits (26), runs (42), walks (43), and total bases (123).

In Their Own Story

The air in Yankee Stadium was thick with humidity and the scent of cut grass, the lights humming louder than the crowd on a late September night. Mickey stood in the left-handed batter's box, his cleats digging into the dirt as he adjusted his grip on the bat. The pitcher wound up, a blur of motion against the backdrop of packed stands. The crack of the bat was sharp, echoing off the stadium walls like a gunshot. The ball soared high, a white speck climbing toward the night sky, clearing the right-field wall with ease. The roar that followed was instantaneous, a tidal wave of noise from 50,000 fans. Mickey didn't run; he watched it land, his face a mask of quiet intensity. He knew what this meant. Another home run added to the tally that would one day cement his place among the immortals of the game.

Reader's Guide

Mantle was an American League Most Valuable Player three times and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. He was an All-Star for 16 seasons, playing in 16 of the 20 All-Star Games that he was selected for. He won a Gold Glove at center field.

Did You Know?

• Mantle hit 536 career home runs while batting .300 or more ten times.
• He is 16th all-time in home runs per at-bat and 17th in on-base percentage.
• He appeared in 12 World Series, winning seven championships.
• Mantle died in Dallas, Texas, aged 63, from liver cancer brought on by years of alcohol abuse.