Who will be the True HR King?

As of now, it is Barry Bonds. In the near future, it may be Alex Rodriguez. Both of them have been associated with performance enhancing substances and anabolic steroids. It is clear baseball fans want a clear name on top of one of the most prestigious sports milestones.

That said, who will be the true all-time homerun leader?

Will it still be Barry Bonds? If Alex Rodriguez suffers injuries or cannot keep up the pace he once reached, than Bonds may hold the record for a long time. Bonds would need help from other players as well.

Will it be Alex Rodriguez? He has put up monstrous numbers throughout his career and if he continues his current rate, he may end up with over 800 career homeruns. He is only 33 and has hit 553 homeruns so far.

What about Albert Pujols? Pujols is only 28 years old and recorded 319 homeruns so far in his career. He averages 42 homeruns per season and has yet to reach his prime. The only thing is, he would need to average 41 homeruns over the next eleven seasons to become the next homerun king. He would be 39 years old if he were to do so, but it is highly unlikely he would put up such numbers as he ages. Pujols' name has not yet been related to steroids and he could be a legitimate "clean" candidate to reach 763.

Why not Ryan Howard? Howard is the fastest player to hit 100 career homeruns and averaged 51 homeruns in the past three seasons. The only downside is Howard is 29 years old and still has not reached the 200-HR plateau. The reason for that is starting his career off slow. The only way Howard can come remotely close to Bonds' record is if he averages 45 homeruns for the next thirteen seasons. It is downright preposterous to believe Howard could hit 45 homeruns at age 42.

Can it be Ryan Braun? He is only 25 and through his two seasons in the bigs, he has hit 73 homeruns. But if Braun plays fifteen more years in the majors, he would need to average over 46 homeruns each season to approach the record. That is the best-case scenario for Braun, and it is extremely doubtful that could happen.

If not Braun, what about his teammate Prince Fielder? Fielder has a better shot than Braun, considering he has 40 more homeruns than him and is a year younger (note: Fielder has been playing in the majors than Braun). Fielder has the genes of a power hitter as his father is Cecil Fielder. But Fielder, a vegetarian, is seen as overweight, which could lead to problems down the road for him. If Fielder plays until he is 40, he needs to average 41 homeruns per season to break the record.

This may be one of the most unlikely names, but what about Manny Ramirez? He is a clubhouse cancer and still has not found a team for the 2009 season, but without a doubt, he is one of the greatest hitters in this era of baseball. Considering he has not been linked to steroids, he may be the best, just like how people consider Pedro Martinez the best pitcher of the steroid era. Ramirez has 527 homeruns as of now. Manny has been seeking a four-year contract, which would have him playing until he is 41 years old. He has shown he can still produce at this age by slugging over .600 and hitting 37 homeruns. The only problem regarding Ramirez is the fact that he has little time left in the majors. He has roughly two very good seasons left in him until he starts to decline. He needs to average 40 homeruns over the next six seasons to approach the record set by Bonds.

Barry Bonds currently holds the record. It is imminent that Alex Rodriguez will surpass the record. Right now, the fans don't want either of them on top of the most esteemed sports record. Sadly, the fans will have to live with that fact for a while.