Barry Bonds is one of most polarizing players in MLB history given his success during the steroid era in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Despite all his records, he's remained out of Cooperstown for violating the integrity of MLB with his steroid use. Come August 2024, though, he'll finally be able to call himself a Hall of Famer.
No, he won't be enshrined in Cooperstown, but he'll be a part of the Pirates' Hall of Fame.
The Sporting News breaks down Bonds' stats and explains why the Pirates decided to induct him into the Hall.
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Why is Barry Bonds in the Pirates Hall of Fame?
Bonds is best known for his time with the Giants, but before his illustrious career in San Francisco, he was a two-time MVP in Pittsburgh.
He played seven seasons with the Pirates, winning two MVPs before the age of 28. Pittsburgh drafted the outfielder in the first round of the 1985 MLB Draft.
Bonds debuted for the Pirates in 1986 and played his last game with the organization in 1992. While Bonds had no shortage of highlights with Pittsburgh, many remember him for a play he didn't make — his ability to throw out Sid Bream at home on the final play in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS.
Bonds signed with the Giants in the ensuing offseason for a then-record six-year, $43.75 million contract.
Pittsburgh is inducting Bonds, Jim Leyland, and Manny Sanguillen as part of its 2024 Hall of Fame class.
"As an organization, we are proud to add three significant members to the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame," Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. "Included in this year's class is a two-time MVP award-winner in Barry, a two-time Manager-of-the-Year award-winner in Jim and a two-time World Series champion with the Pirates in Manny. All three inductees are very deserving of this prestigious recognition. We look forward to celebrating their induction with our fans and sharing their stories with generations to come."
Bonds is not suspected to have used steroids while with the Pirates, but Pittsburgh choosing to honor him might raise eyebrows given his salacious past and thorny exit back in 1992.
Barry Bonds Pirates stats
Bonds spent seven seasons with the Pirates to begin his career. Pittsburgh drafted him with the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 1985 MLB Draft. He spent one year in the minor leagues before being called up.
He won two MVPs before leaving for the Giants in 1993.
| Year | Age | G | PA | AVG/OBP/SLG | HR | R | RBI | SB-CS | BB% | K% |
| 1986 | 21 | 113 | 484 | .223/.330/.416 | 16 | 72 | 48 | 36-7 | 13.4% | 21.1% |
| 1987 | 22 | 150 | 611 | .261/.329/.492 | 25 | 99 | 59 | 32-10 | 8.8% | 14.4% |
| 1988 | 23 | 144 | 614 | .283/.368/.491 | 24 | 97 | 58 | 17-11 | 11.7% | 13.4% |
| 1989 | 24 | 159 | 679 | .248/.351/.426 | 19 | 96 | 58 | 32-10 | 13.7% | 13.7% |
| 1990* | 25 | 151 | 621 | .301/.406/.565 | 33 | 104 | 114 | 52-13 | 15.0% | 13.4% |
| 1991 | 26 | 153 | 634 | .292/.410/.514 | 25 | 95 | 116 | 43-13 | 16.9% | 11.5% |
| 1992* | 27 | 140 | 612 | .311/.456/.624 | 34 | 109 | 103 | 39-8 | 20.8% | 11.3% |
| Career | -- | 1010 | 4255 | .275/.380/.503 | 176 | 672 | 556 | 251-72 | 14.4% | 13.9% |
*Won NL MVP
Barry Bonds Giants stats
Bonds spent the remaining 15 years of his career in San Francisco, racking up five more MVP awards and setting both the single-season and all-time HR records.
| Year | Age | G | PA | AVG/OBP/SLG | HR | R | RBI | SB-CS | BB% | K% |
| 1993* | 28 | 159 | 674 | .336/.458/.677 | 46 | 129 | 123 | 29-12 | 18.7% | 11.7% |
| 1994 | 29 | 112 | 474 | .312/.426/.647 | 37 | 89 | 81 | 29-9 | 15.6% | 9.1% |
| 1995 | 30 | 144 | 635 | .294/.431/.577 | 33 | 109 | 104 | 31-10 | 18.9% | 13.1% |
| 1996 | 31 | 158 | 675 | .308/.461/.615 | 42 | 122 | 129 | 40-7 | 22.4% | 11.3% |
| 1997 | 32 | 159 | 690 | .291/.446/.585 | 40 | 123 | 101 | 37-8 | 21.0% | 12.6% |
| 1998 | 33 | 156 | 697 | .303/.438/.609 | 37 | 120 | 122 | 28-12 | 18.7% | 13.2% |
| 1999 | 34 | 102 | 434 | .262/.389/.617 | 34 | 91 | 83 | 15-2 | 16.8% | 14.3% |
| 2000 | 35 | 143 | 607 | .306/.440/.688 | 49 | 129 | 106 | 11-3 | 19.3% | 12.7% |
| 2001* | 36 | 153 | 664 | .328/.515/.863 | 73 | 129 | 137 | 13-3 | 26.7% | 14.0% |
| 2002* | 37 | 143 | 612 | .370/.582/.799 | 46 | 117 | 110 | 9-2 | 32.4% | 7.7% |
| 2003* | 38 | 130 | 550 | .341/.529/.749 | 45 | 111 | 90 | 7-0 | 26.9% | 10.5% |
| 2004* | 39 | 147 | 617 | .362/.609/.812 | 45 | 129 | 101 | 6-1 | 37.6% | 6.6% |
| 2005 | 40 | 14 | 52 | .286/.404/.667 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 0-0 | 17.3% | 11.5% |
| 2006 | 41 | 130 | 493 | .270/.454/.545 | 26 | 74 | 77 | 3-0 | 23.3% | 10.3% |
| 2007 | 42 | 126 | 477 | .276/.480/.565 | 28 | 75 | 66 | 5-0 | 27.7% | 11.3% |
| Career | -- | 1976 | 8351 | .312/.477/.666 | 586 | 1555 | 1440 | 263-69 | 23.3% | 11.4% |
*Won NL MVP
Is Barry Bonds in the Giants Hall of Fame?
Yes and no. San Francisco has its own "Wall of Fame," which honors the team's greatest and most impactful players to don the Giants uniform.
Bonds joined the group that features Buster Posey, Orlando Cepeda, and Sergio Romo in 2017. Technically, he is a "Wall of Famer" with the Giants, but the Pirates are now naming him a Hall of Famer.
Is Barry Bonds in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
No, Bonds is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Voters have been reluctant to induct Bonds because of his alleged steroid abuse.
Bonds may never reach the Hall of Fame, as he's no longer on the main ballot.
At this point, it's up to the Veteran's Committee to vote him in, but that's unlikely to happen any time soon.