How many home runs did Ruth hit in 1919 to set a new MLB season record? He hit 29 home runs.
Ruth’s 29 homers for the Boston Red Sox in 1919 established a new major-league single-season record. He broke the mark late in September, then added one more home run against the Washington Senators on September 27 to finish at 29.
The number was extraordinary in the dead-ball era, when home runs were far less common than they would become in the 1920s. Ruth had already set the American League record in 1919, and his total also surpassed the recognized major-league standard associated with earlier sluggers such as Ned Williamson and Buck Freeman.
The season marked a decisive change in Ruth’s career. He had been a premier pitcher for Boston, but in 1919 he played increasingly as an outfielder and hitter. His power helped convince the New York Yankees to acquire him after the season, a move that helped launch the modern home-run era and transformed both Ruth’s career and baseball’s commercial appeal.