High school baseball: Bo Jackson, J.T. Realmuto among yearly home run leaders since 1974

Perhaps no athlete has had a better final month to his high school career than Vincent "Bo" Jackson. The McAdory (McCalla, Ala.) three-sport star put up amazing performances every time he competed in the final weeks of the 1982 school year, topping it off by being drafted by the New York Yankees.

Jackson reportedly hit 20 home runs as a senior (newspaper reports say 19 but the AHSAA record book lists Jackson with 20), making him the national leader and landing him on our list of yearly national home run leaders. But hitting home runs was only part of the story for Jackson.

A future Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick, Jackson already had a football scholarship to Auburn in hand in May of 1982, and that was part of the dilemma. With the home runs piling up and scouts flocking to his games, Jackson was also a highly-regarded baseball prospect.

While a Birmingham newspaper argued that Jackson was not a "true prospect," his performances said otherwise. A pitcher and shortstop his senior year, Jackson also batted lead-off. Five times he hit the first pitch of the game out of the park, according to the Alabama Journal. He also had a 500-foot home run and was batting over .500 during the season.

When he wasn't playing baseball, Jackson was running track. He set a state record for the 100 meters with a time of 9.59, won the 120-yard hurdles in 14.22 and the long jump with a leap of 23-1.

Although he played shortstop, Jackson was also a big reason for McAdory's surge at the end of the season en route to a county championship due to his pitching. Although McAdory did not qualify to participate in the state playoffs that year, it did earn a spot in the county tournament. Jackson had 16 strikeouts in one game and spurred a 9-game win streak that ended with a 6-3 win over Pinson Valley for the Class 3A county championship.

Just one day after winning the state decathlon for the second time, a weary Jackson pitched eight innings against Pinson Valley, striking out 14 for the win.

Two weeks later, the Yankees drafted Jackson in the second round. He turned down New York's offer to play football at Auburn.

Jackson is one of several future Major League Baseball players on the list of national leaders. Others include J.T. Realmuto of Carl Albert (MIdwest City, Okla.), Randall Grichuk of Lamar Consolidated (Rosenberg, Texas), Kevin Cron of Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.), Micah Owings of Gainesville (Ga.) and Dave Clark of Shannon (Miss.).

The 1974 cutoff date was chosen because that was the year that aluminum bats became allowable at the high school level.

Yearly national home run leaders

2022 — Judd Utermark , Charlotte Christian (Charlotte, N.C.), 18
2021 — Christian Howe, Danville (Ky.), 21

2020 — Cael Frost, Don Bosco (Gilbertville, Iowa), 9
2019 — Brett Baty, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 19
2018 — Bryant Goolsby, Smith County (Carthage, Tenn.); Austin Pfeifer, Arbor View (Las Vegas, Nev.), 17
2017 — Jordan Adell, Ballard (Louisville, Ky.), 25
2016 — Thomas Dillard, Oxford (Miss.), 16
2015 — Cary Zangari, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.); Dalton Reed, Roff (Okla.), 19
2014 — Jacob Harrison, Grace Christian (Alexandria, La.), 20
2013 — Gavin Lavalley, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.), 20
2012 — Taylor Hawkins, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.), 28
2011 — Kevin Cron, Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.), 27

2010 — J.T. Realmuto, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.), 28
2009 — Matt Hobgood, Norco (Calif.); Randal Grichuk, Lamar Consolidated (Rosenberg, Texas), 21
2008 — B.J. Hermsen, West Delaware (Manchester, Iowa), 24
2007 — Brodie Pullen, Calhoun (Ga.), 25
2006 — Rich Witten, Danville (Ky.), 25
2005 — Trey Wingo, Rock Creek (Bokchito, Okla.), 27
2004 — Mitchell Trimmer, Roff (Okla.), 22
2003 — Brandon Lowe, Vidalia (Ga.); Jarrett Warren, Henry County (Ga.), 22
2002 — Micah Owings, Gainesville (Ga.), 25
2001 — Joe Hooft, Galena (Reno, Nev.); Justin Colbert, Allen (Okla.); Bobby Glover, Caney (Okla.), 21

2000 — Wade Miller, Long (Skipperville, Ala.), 30
1999 — Brad Nelson, Bishop Garrigan (Algona, Iowa), 27
1998 — Jim Willison, Morley Stanwood (Morley, Mich.), 23
1997 — Chris Aguilla, McQueen (Reno, Nev.), 29
1996 — Joe Little, Butner (Cromwell, Okla.), 25
1995 — Shawn Gallagher, New Hanover (Wilmington, N.C.), 19
1994 — Mike Wilson, Central (Marlow, Okla.) 21
1993 — Heath Graham, Stringer (Miss.) 20
1992 — Shon Walker, Harrison County (Cynthiana, Ky.), 29
1991 — Chris Ivey, Camanche (Iowa), 19

1990 — David Laffoon, Odin (Ill.), 21
1989 — Will Hunt, Asher (Okla.), 25
1988 — Clayton Sander, Camanche (Iowa), 25
1987 — Anthony Whitson, Unicoi County (Erwin, Tenn.), 24
1986 — Patrick Ollis, Unicoi County (Erwin, Tenn.), 22; Mike McQuain, Depew (Okla.), 22
1985 — Will Edwards, Unicoi County (Erwin, Tenn.), 20
1984 — Marvin Moore, Roff (Okla.), 22
1983 — David King, Asher (Okla.), 21
1982 — Bo Jackson, McAdory (McCalla, Ala.), 20
1981 — Arnold Garcia, Channel Islands (Oxnard, Calif.), 16

1980 — Dave Clark, Shannon (Miss.), 23
1979 — Tracy Holt, Asher (Okla.), 20
1978 — Robert Hicks, Tate (Cantonment, Fla.), 18
1977 — Monty Kauk, Leedey (Okla.), 19
1976 — Ron Hicklin, Harrah (Okla.), 15
1975 — Wade Lindon, Hazard (Ky.), 16
1974 — Greg Skaggs, Choctaw (Okla.), 10