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Mike Moustakas stands one home run shy of tying the franchise record for home runs in a season, set by Steve Balboni with 36 in 1985. It is the lowest franchise home run record in baseball, perhaps not that surprising for a team that plays at Kauffman Stadium and has never placed much emphasis on power hitters. For reference, here is the single-season home run record for each franchise.
Team | Record-Holder | # | Year |
SFG | Barry Bonds | 73 | 2001 |
STL | Mark McGwire | 70 | 1998 |
CHC | Sammy Sosa | 66 | 1998 |
NYY | Roger Maris | 61 | 1961 |
DET | Hank Greenberg | 58 | 1938 |
OAK | Jimmie Foxx | 58 | 1932 |
PHI | Ryan Howard | 56 | 2006 |
ARI | Luis Gonzalez | 57 | 2001 |
TEX | Alex Rodriguez | 57 | 2002 |
SEA | Ken Griffey, Jr. | 56 | 1997 |
BOS | David Ortiz | 54 | 2006 |
TOR | Jose Bautista | 54 | 2010 |
PIT | Ralph Kiner | 54 | 1949 |
BAL | Chris Davis | 53 | 2013 |
CLE | Jim Thome | 52 | 2002 |
CIN | George Foster | 52 | 1977 |
ATL | Andruw Jones | 51 | 2005 |
MIL | Prince Fielder | 50 | 2007 |
SDP | Greg Vaughn | 50 | 1998 |
CHW | Albert Belle | 49 | 1998 |
MIN | Harmon Killebrew | 49 | 1969 |
COL | Todd Helton | 49 | 2001 |
LAD | Shawn Green | 49 | 2001 |
LAA | Troy Glaus | 47 | 2000 |
HOU | Jeff Bagwell | 47 | 2000 |
TBR | Carlos Pena | 46 | 2007 |
WSN | Alfonso Soriano | 46 | 2006 |
FLA | Giancarlo Stanton | 44 | 2017 |
NYM | Todd Hundley | 41 | 1996 |
KCR | Steve Balboni | 36 | 1985 |
Here is the same list, but by chronological order.
Team | Record-Holder | # | Year |
OAK | Jimmie Foxx | 58 | 1932 |
DET | Hank Greenberg | 58 | 1938 |
PIT | Ralph Kiner | 54 | 1949 |
NYY | Roger Maris | 61 | 1961 |
MIN | Harmon Killebrew | 49 | 1969 |
CIN | George Foster | 52 | 1977 |
KCR | Steve Balboni | 36 | 1985 |
NYM | Todd Hundley | 41 | 1996 |
SEA | Ken Griffey, Jr. | 56 | 1997 |
CHC | Sammy Sosa | 66 | 1998 |
STL | Mark McGwire | 70 | 1998 |
SDP | Greg Vaughn | 50 | 1998 |
CHW | Albert Belle | 49 | 1998 |
LAA | Troy Glaus | 47 | 2000 |
HOU | Jeff Bagwell | 47 | 2000 |
SFG | Barry Bonds | 73 | 2001 |
ARI | Luis Gonzalez | 57 | 2001 |
COL | Todd Helton | 49 | 2001 |
LAD | Shawn Green | 49 | 2001 |
TEX | Alex Rodriguez | 57 | 2002 |
CLE | Jim Thome | 52 | 2002 |
ATL | Andruw Jones | 51 | 2005 |
PHI | Ryan Howard | 58 | 2006 |
BOS | David Ortiz | 54 | 2006 |
WSN | Alfonso Soriano | 46 | 2006 |
MIL | Prince Fielder | 50 | 2007 |
TBR | Carlos Pena | 46 | 2007 |
TOR | Jose Bautista | 54 | 2010 |
BAL | Chris Davis | 53 | 2013 |
FLA | Giancarlo Stanton | 44 | 2017 |
Just six of the current club records pre-date Balboni's season. In fact, 20 of the 30 club records were set between 1996 and 2007, during the silly ball era, when home runs spiked through the roof. Here is what the club records looked like at the time of the time of the 1994 work stoppage*, before home runs were flying out of ballparks.
Team | Record-Holder | # | Year |
NYY | Roger Maris | 61 | 1961 |
OAK | Jimmie Foxx | 58 | 1932 |
DET | Hank Greenerg | 58 | 1938 |
CHC | Hack Wilson | 56 | 1930 |
PIT | Ralph Kiner | 54 | 1949 |
SFG | Willie Mays | 52 | 1965 |
CIN | George Foster | 52 | 1977 |
BOS | Jimmie Foxx | 50 | 1938 |
BAL | Frank Robinson | 49 | 1966 |
MIN | Harmon Killebrew | 49 | 1969 |
TEX | Frank Howard | 48 | 1969 |
PHI | Mike Schmidt | 48 | 1980 |
ATL | Hank Aaron | 47 | 1971 |
TOR | George Bell | 47 | 1987 |
MIL | Gorman Thomas | 45 | 1979 |
SEA | Ken Griffey, Jr. | 45 | 1993 |
STL | Johnny Mize | 43 | 1940 |
CLE | Al Rosen | 43 | 1953 |
LAD | Duke Snider | 43 | 1956 |
CHW | Frank Thomas | 41 | 1993 |
CAL | Reggie Jackson | 39 | 1982 |
NYM | Darryl Strawberry | 39 | 1987 |
SDP | Nate Colbert | 38 | 1970 |
HOU | Glenn Davis | 37 | 1967 |
KCR | Steve Balboni | 36 | 1985 |
MTL | Andre Dawson | 32 | 1983 |
*-Not counting Florida and Colorado, which had only been in the league one year. The Montreal Expos would eventually relocate to Washington.
No decade really dominates the home run totals there - the 1980s have a bit more because there were new franchises added in the 1960s and 70s.
What this all means is that the Royals seem to be the only franchise that didn't really take advantage of the silly ball era. They did get a few players close - Gary Gaetti probably would have broken the record in 1995 had it not been a shortened season, since he hit 35 in 144 games. It can't all be about the stadium, since franchises in other pitchers parks like Dodger Stadium and Busch Stadium eventually saw their home run records fall. Perhaps the stadium coupled with the frugality of the franchise during that era cost them. Maybe the organization just stinks at developing power hitters - the players that threatened Balboni all originally came from outside the organization - Gaetti, Dean Palmer, Jermaine Dye (not to mention Balboni himself and the man whose record he broke - John Mayberry). Maybe they were a bunch of choir boys who couldn't be tempted by PEDs in an era where everyone else was popping them.
In any case, it looks like the record will go down this year, the year the most home run in baseball history are being hit. Will Mike Moustakas hold the record for three decades? Unless MLB deadens the ball this off-season, I'm not sure I'd count on it.