Barry Bonds

Resurgence

Although Ken Griffey Jr. was voted Player of the Decade in the 1990's, many believed that Bonds was the better player. Through the decade, Bonds was a very patient hitter and great slugger who stole bases and played exceptional defense. While by the end of the decade Bonds was a surefire Hall of Famer, it was in the beginning of the millennium - at the age of 37 - when Bonds would surpass his peers and achieve a level that only a couple of hitters in the history of the game have achieved.

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In 2001, Bonds hit 73 HRs (the only time he's hit over 50 in a season), and even more astonishingly, surpassed Babe Ruth's record of single season slugging percentage with a mind blowing .863. The very next year, he broke Ted Williams' single season on base percentage record with .582, and then shattered his own record in 2004 with an unprecedented .609. Bonds holds virtually every record associated with walking, whether it's in a season (232), in a game (6), or intentional (4).

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Today Bonds is generally considered to be the best hitter in the game, and comparable only to a handful of hitters in the sport's entire history. Many of the game's best players, hitter and pitcher alike, remain in awe of Bonds' bat speed and dominance at the plate.

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Preceded by:Mark McGwire

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Single season home run record holders

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Succeeded by:?

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