Top 25 MLB batting seasons of all time

6. Roger Maris, 1961

• The Numbers: Broke Babe Ruth’s single season record with 61 home runs, led AL with 141 RBI

The year 1961 was a magical season for Roger Maris as he broke the hallowed single-season home run record of Babe Ruth with 61. Maris engaged in a drawn-out chase for the record with teammate Mickey Mantle, who would ultimately bow out with an injury with 54 home runs.

Sixty home runs was a beloved record by MLB fans all across the country, and Maris was not viewed as a worthy challenger of the record held by Ruth. Mantle — that’s fine. Maris, however, was not good to take the crown of an all-time great — with an extra eight games on the schedule, no less.

The pressure to capture the record from Ruth really weighed heavily on Maris by the end of the chase. His hair was falling out, and he was under intense scrutiny. Ultimately, he tied Ruth’s record in the 159th game of the year and then hit the record-breaker in the sudden-death playoff on October 1.

Maris only hit one home run in the first month of the year while batting .204. After getting that out of the way, he went on to hit more than 10 home runs in five straight months, en route to his second AL MVP award.

After his epic year in 1961, Maris went on to have one more solid season in 1962 before gradually declining. He finished his career with 275 home runs, but will forever be remembered for one magic summer. He remains the last player to hit more than 60 home runs who was not associated with performance-enhancing drugs.