By Jonah Sharf
On August 25, 1986, Oakland Athletics call-up Mark McGwire hit his first career major league home run. He would only play 18 games on the season, putting up three home runs and nine RBI. He would play a full 151 game rookie season a year later and win Rookie of the Year, setting the AL home run record for a rookie with 49, which was broken by Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in 2017. McGwire would go on to be one of the best home run hitters in MLB history, breaking Roger Maris’ record of 61 home runs in one season in 1998 with one of the most entertaining home run races ever against Sammy Sosa. McGwire’s record of 70 would be broken by Barry Bonds in 2001.