There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh-cut grass and the sound of a wooden bat cracking against a 98-mph fastball on that first Thursday of the season. Honestly, for baseball fans, Opening Day is a national holiday. We all look for signs. We want to believe that if our star player hits a bomb today, he’s going for 50 this year. But when it comes to the most home runs opening day records, the history is actually a lot weirder—and more impressive—than most people realize.
You’ve got the legends like Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Robinson, sure. But then you’ve got guys like Adam Dunn or Tuffy Rhodes whose names are etched into the record books right next to them. Baseball is funny like that. One day can make a career look legendary, even if the rest of the season is just okay.
The Triple Crown of Opening Day Power
When you look at the career leaders for the most home runs opening day, three names sit at the top of the mountain. They each have eight.
Frank Robinson was the first to get there. He did it across four different teams, which is a testament to how long he stayed elite. Then you have Ken Griffey Jr., the man with the prettiest swing in the history of the sport. Watching Junior hit a home run on Opening Day felt like the natural order of the world.
The third guy? Adam Dunn.
Yeah, "The Big Donkey." Dunn was the king of the "three true outcomes"—he was basically going to walk, strike out, or hit the ball into another zip code. He actually holds the record for the most Opening Day RBIs too, with 21. For a guy who was often criticized for his batting average, Dunn was a flat-out monster when the calendar flipped to April.
Tyler O'Neill’s Insane Modern Streak
If you haven't been paying attention to Tyler O'Neill, you're missing out on a glitch in the Matrix. In 2024, O’Neill hit a home run in his fifth consecutive Opening Day game. That broke a record he previously shared with guys like Yogi Berra and Gary Carter.
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Then 2025 happened.
Playing for the Orioles, O'Neill pushed that streak to six straight years. Think about how hard that is. You have to be healthy, you have to be in the lineup, and you have to find a pitch to drive on one specific day, once a year, six years in a row. It’s one of those "baseball stats" that feels impossible until you see it.
The Day the Dodgers Went Nuclear
Individual records are great, but the team record for the most home runs opening day is even crazier. On March 28, 2019, the Los Angeles Dodgers decided they didn't really care about the Arizona Diamondbacks' feelings.
They hit eight home runs in a single game.
It wasn't just one guy having a career day, either. It was a group effort. Enrique Hernandez and Joc Pederson both went deep twice. Corey Seager, Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger, and Austin Barnes all joined the party. When eight different players on one team are hitting homers, the pitcher basically just wants to go home and hide under the covers.
More recently, in 2025, the Baltimore Orioles put up six home runs against Toronto, which tied for the second-most in history. The balls were flying that day, and it reminded everyone that in the modern era, no lead is safe on the first day of the season.
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Three-Homer Legends: The One-Day Wonders
Hitting two home runs in a game is a great start. Hitting three? That’s legendary. Only four players have ever hit three home runs on Opening Day:
- George Bell (1988): He was the first. He hit all three off Bret Saberhagen, who was a Cy Young winner. Talk about a statement game.
- Tuffy Rhodes (1994): Tuffy hit three off Dwight "Doc" Gooden. He only hit 13 home runs in his entire MLB career, but for one day in Chicago, he was the greatest player on earth.
- Dmitri Young (2005): "Da Meat" was a pure hitter, and he put on a clinic for the Tigers against the Royals.
- Matt Davidson (2018): He did it for the White Sox, also against the Royals. (The Royals seem to be on the receiving end of these a lot, unfortunately.)
Why the "Opening Day Specialist" Exists
You might wonder why some guys just "have it" on day one. George Bell actually hit those three homers in 1988 while he was furious at his manager for making him a designated hitter. He basically channeled that anger into the ball.
There's a psychological element to Opening Day. The adrenaline is higher. The pitchers are sometimes a bit "too" amped up, leaving fastballs in the middle of the plate. If you’re a hitter like Adam Dunn who sits on one pitch, you’re going to do damage.
Notable Career Opening Day Home Run Leaders
| Player | Total Opening Day HRs |
|---|---|
| Frank Robinson | 8 |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 8 |
| Adam Dunn | 8 |
| Willie Mays | 7 |
| Eddie Mathews | 7 |
| Bryce Harper | 5 (Active) |
| Giancarlo Stanton | 5 (Active) |
| Tyler O'Neill | 6 (Active) |
It’s important to note that while eight is the record, guys like Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton are still playing. Stanton, specifically, is always one swing away from moving up that list. However, he also holds a less fun record—he's nearing the all-time lead for Opening Day strikeouts. That’s the Stanton experience in a nutshell.
The Hank Aaron Moment
We can’t talk about the most home runs opening day without mentioning 1974. Hank Aaron entered that season with 713 career home runs. He was one away from tying Babe Ruth.
The pressure was astronomical. Death threats, racial slurs, the weight of history—it was all there.
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On his very first swing of the season, in Cincinnati, Aaron crushed a three-run homer off Jack Billingham. He tied the record on his first at-bat of the year. It remains arguably the most "clutch" Opening Day home run ever hit because of what it represented for the game and the country.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re looking to track who might break these records in the coming years, keep an eye on a few specific factors. First, look at the park factors. Teams playing in Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati) or Coors Field (Denver) on Opening Day have a massive advantage for power stats.
Second, watch the weather. Early April in New York or Detroit is usually freezing. Cold air kills ball flight. If you want to see the record for most home runs opening day challenged, you want a warm-weather opener or a dome.
Finally, follow the Tyler O'Neill phenomenon. His streak proves that some players just find a rhythm in the spring. Tracking "Opening Day specialists" isn't just a fun trivia game; it’s a legitimate way to see who is prepared coming out of Spring Training.
To see these records in action, check out the official MLB Statcast leaderboards during the first week of the season. They track exit velocity and launch angle in real-time, which helps explain how guys like Stanton can hit a ball 118 mph on a 40-degree day in the Bronx.