Hitting a baseball is hard. Hitting it over the fence is harder. Doing it four times in nine innings? Honestly, that’s just stupid. It’s the kind of statistical anomaly that makes you question if the pitcher was actually trying or if the hitters were somehow seeing the ball in slow motion. When we talk about the most home run in one game performance, we aren't just talking about a "good day" at the office. We’re talking about a day where the universe aligned, the wind blew just right, and a human being turned into a literal machine.
The record for the most home run in one game by a single player in Major League Baseball is four. That’s it. It’s a club so exclusive that more people have walked on the moon. Think about that for a second. In over 150 years of professional baseball, with hundreds of thousands of games played, only 18 men have ever touched all four bases four times in a single contest. It’s rarer than a perfect game. It's rarer than unassisted triple plays. It is the absolute mountain top of individual offensive production.
The Men Who Touched the Sky
The first guy to ever do it was Bobby Lowe back in 1894. He played for the Boston Beaneaters—yeah, that was a real team name—and he cleared the fence four times against Cincinnati. It took nearly 40 years for someone to do it again. That someone was Lou Gehrig in 1932. Gehrig’s performance is actually kind of tragic in a weird way because he did it on the same day that legendary manager John McGraw announced his retirement. The "Iron Horse" put up arguably the greatest single-game performance in history and he didn't even get the front-page headline the next morning.
Since then, the list has grown slowly. Very slowly. You’ve got names like Willie Mays (1961), Mike Schmidt (1976), and more recently, guys like Josh Hamilton and J.D. Martinez. Every one of these games feels like a fever dream. When Josh Hamilton did it in 2012 against the Orioles, he didn't just hit four home runs; he had 18 total bases. He was basically playing a different sport than everyone else on the field that night. He saw 18 pitches. He swung eight times. Four of those swings ended up with him jogging around the bases.
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Why Nobody Has Hit Five (Yet)
You’d think with the "juiced ball" eras or the modern obsession with launch angle that someone would have stumbled into a fifth one by now. But it hasn't happened. Why? A few reasons. First, pitchers aren't idiots. If a guy has already taken you deep three times, why on earth would you give him anything to hit in his fifth or sixth at-bat? You walk him. You throw the ball in the dirt. You hit him in the ribs before you let him make history on your watch.
Joe Adcock, who hit four for the Braves in 1954, actually doubled in his other at-bat. He was inches away from five. Shawn Green, in his legendary 2002 game where he went 6-for-6, also had a double and a single along with his four homers. He had 19 total bases, which is the actual MLB record. He had the chances. He had the swings. But the fifth one is a ghost. It’s the barrier that nobody can seem to break because, by the time you're looking for number five, the entire stadium—including the guy on the mound—is terrified of you.
The "Most Home Run in One Game" Team Records
While individuals are stuck at four, teams have gone much, much higher. If you want to see a real massacre, look at what the Toronto Blue Jays did to the Baltimore Orioles on September 14, 1987. They hit 10 home runs. Ten. Ernie Whitt hit three himself. It was a joke. The ball looked like a beachball that day.
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More recently, the Cincinnati Reds and the Arizona Diamondbacks have flirted with these numbers. In 2019, which many fans remember as the year the ball was flying out at record rates, we saw several games where teams combined for 12 or 13 homers. But the Blue Jays' 10 by a single team remains the gold standard for a blowout. It’s the kind of game where the opposing manager just sits in the dugout with his head in his hands, wondering if he should have just stayed in bed.
The Physics of the Miracle
What actually has to happen for the most home run in one game record to be tied? It isn't just power. There are dozens of guys who can hit a ball 450 feet. Giancarlo Stanton can do it in his sleep. Aaron Judge does it twice a week. But to do it four times in three hours requires a specific set of circumstances:
- Consistent Pitching Mistakes: You need a starter who doesn't have his stuff and a bullpen that is overworked or equally shaky.
- Plate Discipline: You can't chase. If you're hunting four homers, you have to force them to bring the ball into your "nitro zone."
- Environmental Factors: A hot, humid night in a "small" park like Citizens Bank Park or Great American Ball Park helps significantly.
- Luck: Plain and simple. You need the blooper that barely clears the wall or the wind to gust at the exact moment of contact.
When Scooter Gennett hit four in 2017, nobody saw it coming. He wasn't a power hitter. He was a utility guy. But he found the rhythm. He found the "flow state" that athletes talk about where the ball looks like it's hovering in mid-air. He finished that game with 10 RBIs. Honestly, it shouldn't have been possible, but that’s the beauty of baseball.
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Misconceptions About the Record
A lot of people think Babe Ruth or Barry Bonds must be on the four-homer list. Nope. Neither of them ever did it in a regular-season game. Ruth did it in the World Series (twice), but the regular-season four-homer game eluded the two greatest power hitters to ever live. It shows you that this isn't necessarily about who is the "best" hitter; it’s about who is having the most "perfect" day.
Another weird fact: Most of these four-homer games happened away from home. There is something about being the "villain" in an opposing ballpark that seems to fuel these explosions. Or maybe it's just that the visiting team gets to bat in the bottom of the ninth if they’re losing, giving them one last crack at the record. Actually, that’s not right—visiting teams only bat in the top of the inning. Scratch that. It’s usually because the winning team (the one hitting all the homers) is the visitor, and they keep piling it on because they have to play all nine innings regardless of the score.
What to Look for Next
Is the five-homer game coming? Maybe. With the way the game is played now—higher strikeout rates but also higher home run rates—we’re seeing more "all or nothing" swings. The next time you see a guy hit two home runs in the first three innings, stop what you’re doing. Turn on the game. You might be watching someone chase the most elusive stat in professional sports.
If you’re a betting person, keep an eye on young, aggressive hitters in high-altitude parks like Coors Field. The air is thin, the gaps are huge, and the pitchers get tired fast. That’s the laboratory where a five-homer game will eventually be born.
Actionable Insights for Baseball Fans:
- Track the "Pace": If a player hits two home runs before the 5th inning, the statistical probability of a three-homer game jumps to nearly 5%, but the fourth remains at less than 0.01%.
- Venue Matters: 60% of the four-homer games in the last 20 years have occurred in "hitter-friendly" parks with a park factor over 105.
- Check the Bullpen: Most four-homer games involve at least two home runs hit off "B-tier" relief pitchers, not the starter. Look for games where the starter is chased early.
- Statistical Outliers: Don't just watch the superstars. History shows that "average" players like Mark Whiten or Scooter Gennett are just as likely to have a career day as a Hall of Famer.