Hank Aaron, Braves legend and MLB home run king, dies at 86 (report)

Baseball lost one of its greatest figures Friday as Hall of Famer and longtime home run king Hank Aaron has reportedly passed away at the age of 86.

As CBS 46 in Atlanta first reported, Aaron passed away early Friday morning. The circumstances of his death have yet to be reported. The news was later confirmed by Major League Baseball’s Twitter account.

Aaron is entrenched as one of the game’s most important players. The 25-time All-Star is most famous for passing Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record, finishing his career with 755 career home runs. That mark was later passed by San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds. However, Bonds’ suspected use of performance-enhancing drugs has shifted public perception, leaving Aaron as the “true” home run king in many eyes.

The image of Aaron hitting his record-breaking 715th home run in 1974 and being mobbed by fans while rounding the basepaths remains one of the most iconic moments in MLB history.

Meanwhile, Aaron does remain MLB’s all-time RBI leader with 2.297.

Aaron spent 21 seasons with the Braves organization, first when the team was based in Milwaukee and later in Atlanta. He also spent two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Aaron’s impact on the game has since been honored with the establishment of the Hank Aaron Award, which goes to the top offensive player in each league.

Later in his life, Aaron remained in the public sphere, remaining a prominent civil rights leader. On Jan. 6, he publicly received the COVID-19 vaccine in an effort to raise public support for receiving the vaccine.

In 23 MLB seasons, Aaron finished with 3,771 hits, 626 doubles, 2,297 RBIs, a .305 batting average and an OPS of .928.

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