Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Giants Make Eye-Opening Barry Bonds Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Eric W. Bolin | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 9:17 PM ET

To some, Barry Bonds is the greatest baseball player in the last 100 years, if not ever. To others, he's a disgrace to the game and a rightfully snubbed-from-the-Hall-of-Fame cheat.

Regardless of personal feelings, the announcement Thursday that the San Francisco Giants would build a statue of Bonds outside of Oracle Park was probably not a surprise. Larry Baer, the team's president and CEO, said the build was coming sooner rather than later.

"Barry is certainly deserving of a statue, and I would say should be next up," Baer said on radio station 95.7 The Game out of San Francisco. "We don't have the exact location and the exact date and the exact timing. ... It's coming. All I can say is it's coming."

Bonds is Major League Baseball's all-time home run leader with 762 in his 22 seasons from 1986 to 2007. He played with the Giants for the last 15 of those years, clubbing 586 home runs while in a San Francisco uniform.

Bonds statue would be the sixth outside of the Giants home stadium. The five that currently exist belong to Hall-of-Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry and Orlando Cepeda. Bonds was not elected to the Hall during his 10 years of eligibility as allegations of steroids use prevailed.

The Giants previously retired the long-time leftfielder's jersey, No. 25, back in 2018. Bonds won seven Most Valuable Player awards during his career, including five with the Giants. He is the franchise's all-time leader in on-base percentage and slugging and trails only Mays in bWAR and homers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: