9. Cy Williams, 1918-30 Phillies
The Phillies had home-run hitters before it was de rigueur. Cy Williams led MLB and the NL twice each in home runs, back when 12 home runs were considered a lot.
Williams spent the first six seasons of his career with the Chicago Cubs, before spending the remaining 13 in Philadelphia. With the Phillies, his offensive production increased, and he hit double-digit home runs every season from 1920-28, after only reaching double-digits twice in the first eight years of his career.
In 1923, Williams hit a career-high, MLB-leading 41 home runs. He never came close to replicating it again.
To put Williams’ 1923 season in context, Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat, had his first 20+ HR season in 1919, followed by two 50+ HR seasons. In 1923, the Yankees won their first championship in franchise history, and Ruth tied Williams for the MLB lead with 41 homers of his own.