As Baseball Roundtable (impatiently) awaits that fan-centric phrase “pitchers and catchers report,” I continue to somewhat randomly peruse (and present) hardball statistics and stories. (Yes, even on Christmas Eve.) In this post, I’ll take a look at the long ball, specifically players – both familiar and obscure – who are at the top of the record books when it comes to multi-homer games.
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Now back, to our regularly scheduled programming. This first chart really has no surprises. Appropriately, Babe Ruth is not just the “Sultan of Swat,” but also the “King of Clout” when it comes to multi-homer outings.
The top five active players in multi-homer runs games are Miguel Cabrera (39), Edwin Encarnacion (36); Giancarlo Stanton (32); Ryan Braun (32); and Nelson Cruz (31).
But let’s move beyond the obvious and look deeper into the roster of players who have gone yard multiple times in a single game.
Let the Kid(s) Do It
Ten MLB players have recorded multi-homer games while still teenagers. The youngest of those is Cubs’ outfielder Danny Murphy, who launched a pair of solo shots at the age of 19 years-35 days, as his Cubs topped the Cardinals 5-2 on September 27, 1961. Those long balls were two of only four MLB home runs Murphy would hit in his MLB career.
Murphy, who made his MLB debut on June 18, 1960 was a high school PHENOM (St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, MA). Why the capital letters in phenom? Well, the 17-year-old’s signing (by the Cubs for $100,000) was significant enough that the June 27, 1960 issue of Sports Illustrated ran a story (by Roy Terrell) titled: THE SIGNING OF DANNY MURPHY … Hard Work and a $100,000 Bonus Landed the Year’s Prize Youngster for the Cubs. In the story, Terrell recounted Murphy’s signing day almost minute-by-minute – including visits and/or calls from the Cardinals, Athletics, Tigers, White Sox, Braves, Pirates, Red Sox, Cubs, Yankees, Orioles. To read that story, click here.
Murphy went directly to the Cubs and made his MLB debut in CF (and leading off) just three days after his signing. Murphy went zero-for-four in that initial game. He played in 31 games that season, but was over-matched, hitting just .120. He did hit one home run becoming the second-youngest player to homer in an MLB game. Murphy ended up splitting his 1960 season between the Cubs and Double-A San Antonio Missions (where he hit .294-8-31 in 47 games).
Only Tommy Brown of the Dodgers went deep in an MLB game at a younger age than Danny Murphy (Murphy hit his first MLB homer at age 18 years-21 days), Brown had two MLB home runs for the 1945 Dodgers before his 18th birthday.
Over the 1961-62 seasons, Murphy got in just 18 games for the Cubs (and 253 minor-league contests). He then didn’t appear in another MLB game until August 11, 1969 – when he reemerged as a pitcher (for the White Sox). In five MLB seasons, Murphy hit .177-4-13 in 117 games and put up a 4-4, 4.65 record in 39 reliefs appearances.
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Juan Soto –
SotoPhoto by pdeonarain 
The Nationals’ Juan Soto holds the distinction of being the only MLB player to enjoy three multi-homer games before his twentieth birthday (June 13, June 29 and September 11, 2018). The only other players with multiple two-homer games before reaching age 20 are Mel Ott Giants, 1928), Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners, 1989) and Bryce Harper (Nationals, 2012). Other teenagers (not already mentioned here) with multiple-homer games are: Harmon Killebrew, Senators, 1956); Brian McCall (White Sox, 1962); Tony Conigliaro (Red Sox, 1964); Ed Kranepool, (Mets, 1964); ; Andruw Jones (Braves, 1996).
The surprise on this list is McCall, who (as a 19-year-old) hit two home runs in a September 30, 1962 game – as his White Sox topped the Yankees 8-4. It would be McCall’s only two MLB home runs in an MLB career that encompassed just seven games (in 1962-63). McCall hit 47 home runs over six minor-league seasons. Like Danny Murphy, McCall was moved to the mound, pitching in the minors in 1965 and 1966, but never making an MLB mound appearance.
Old Guys Rule
Julio Franco – Old Guys rule and he is their king!
Julio Franco is the oldest player to have a multi-homer MLB game – at age 46 years-299 days. He did it while playing 1B for the Braves in a June 18, 2005 6-1 win over the Reds in Cincinnati. Franco played in 23 MLB seasons (1982-94, 1996-97, 2001-2007) from age 23 through age 48.
Franco also is the oldest player ever to hit an MLB home run (48 years-254 days) on May 4, 2007 – as his Mets topped the Diamondback 5-3. In fact, in the ranking of oldest-player home runs, Franco holds 18 0f the top 19 places.
The 11 multi-home run games (in a season) of Hank Greenberg and Aaron Judge were all two-home run contests. Sammy Sosa had ten two-homer games and one three-homer game in his 11 multi-homer games.
Now, that Makes for a Good Story
Photo by jenniferlinneaphotography
Rockies’ shortstop Trevor Story’s two-home run debut game is the most unique on the list above. It is the only one the chart that took place on Opening Day. It came on April 4, 2016 as Story’s Rockies topped the Diamondbacks 10-5. Story went on to homer in his first four games as a major leaguer – going 7-for-19 (.368) with six homers, six runs scored and 11 RBI.
Still Active, Story has put up a .268-174-516 line over seven seasons. He currently has 19 multi-home games in his career.
There have been more than 350 three-homer MLB regular-season games, so we’ll just touch on a few highlights here.
- The youngest player ever to record a three-homer game is Tigers’ outfielder Al Kaline, who accomplished the feat on April 17, 1955 – as the Tigers topped the athletics 16-0. Kaline, already in his third MLB season, was 20 years-19 days old and on his way to a .340-27-102 season, leading the AL in average and base hits (200).
- The oldest player with a three-homer game is Stan Musial (at 41 years-229 days). Musial’s game came on July 8, 1962, as his Cardinals topped the Mets 5-1. Musial had two three-homer games in his 22-season MLB career (35 two-homer games, 399 with one home run).
- Only four players have recorded a three-homer game after their fortieth birthday: Stan Musial (Cardinals, 1962), Jason Giambi (Rockies, 2011), Reggie Jackson (Angels, 1986) and Babe Ruth (Braves,1935).
The most three homer games in a single season is three – and they came in a span of 46 days – by Sammy Sosa in 2001. Ironically, Sosa’s Cubs lost two of the three contests.
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A Baseball Roundtable Extra – a bit of “one thing leads do another.”
While this post is all about regular-season multi-homer games, here’s a look at players with a three-homer game in the post-season.
- Babe Ruth, Yankees … Game Four, 1926 World Series & Game Four, 1928 World Series
- Reggie Jackson, Yankees … Game Six, 1977 World Series
- Albert Pujols, Cardinals … Game Three, 2011 World Series
- Pablo Sandoval, Giants … Game One, 2012 World Series
- Bob Robertson, Pirates … Game Two, 1971 NLCS
- George Brett, Royals … Game Three, 1978 ALCS
- Adam Kennedy, Angels … Game Five, 2002 ALCS
- Enrique Hernandez, Dodgers … Game Five, 2017 NLCS
- Chris Taylor, Dodgers … Game Five, 2012 NLCS
- Adrian Beltre, Rangers … Game Four, 2011 ALDS.
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Ah, those great single-admission doubleheaders – which helped make the next story possible.
A Beautiful Coincidence
Stan Musial and Nate Colbert share the record for most home runs in a double header -with five – and they share more than that. On May 2, 1954, the New York Giants faced Musial’s Cardinals in a double header before 26,662 fans at Busch Stadium. And, on that day, Musial became the first player to pole five home runs in a doubleheader – or, if you prefer, five home runs in a single day of the MLB schedule.
As the Cardinals won Game One 10-6, Musial was brilliant, recording four hits and a walk in five plate appearances – including a solo home run in the third inning, a two-run homer in the fifth and a three-run blast in the eighth. It was the first time Musial had hit three round trippers in a single game. He ended with contest with three runs scored and six RBI.
Musial faced knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm in Game Two. If Stan was going to continue his long-ball heroics, he would have to provide his own power – and he did. In Game Two, Musial collected two hits and a walk in five plate appearances – including a two-run homer in the fifth inning and a solo shot in the seventh, scoring three runs and driving in three in a 9-7 Cardinals loss.
So, for the doubleheader, Stan Musial was six-for-eight, with two walks, six runs scored, nine RBI and five home runs.
Now, that coincidence.
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Among the fans witnessing Musial’s 1954 feat was eight-year-old Nate Colbert – who, on August 1, 1972, would become the second player in MLB history (and there are still only two) to hit five round trippers in a double header.
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Colbert, whose San Diego Padres were facing the Atlanta Braves in a double header before a meager crowd of 5,784 (in Atlanta), got his day off to a quick start. The Padres’ clean-up hitter hit a three-run homer in the top of the first inning. Colbert went on to add a run-scoring single in the third, another single in the fourth, and a solo homer in the seventh before striking out to open the ninth. For the game, won by the Padres 9-0, Colbert was four-for-five, three runs scored, five RBI and two home runs.
Game two started out quietly enough, with Colbert drawing a first-inning walk. Things heated up fast, as Colbert added a grand slam in the second, a ground out to third base in the fourth, a two-run homer in the seventh and a day-topping two-run round tripper with two out in the ninth. In the process, he went three-for-four with three runs scored and eight RBI – becoming only the second player with five home runs in a double header. (The Padres, by the way, won game two 11-7.) For the double header, Colbert was seven-for-nine, with a walk, seven runs scored, 13 RBI and five home runs. Stan Musial, however, was not in the stands.
Some four-homer game tidbits:
- The youngest player to hit four homers in a game was White Sox’ outfielder Pat Seerey (25 years-123 days).
- The oldest player to hit four homers in a game was Phillies’ outfielder Chuck Klein (31 years-277 days).
- The Braves’ Bob Horner is the only player to hit four home runs in a game his team lost – (The Braves lost to the Expos 11-8 on July 6, 1986).
- ‘The Cardinals’ Mark Whiten tied the MLB record for RBI in a game in his September 7, 1993 four-homer game versus the Reds, with 12 RBI. His day included a Grand Slam, two three-run homers; and one two-run shot.
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When Baseball Roundtable Looks into the Baseball Record Books – One Thing Always Seems to Lead to Another.
This post has focused thus far on multi-home run games. How about players who logged a multi-homer inning? Not as rare as you might think. A total 59 players have it two home runs in a single inning. Too many too list, but how about a few tidbits.
- Fernando Tatis (Cardinals) is the only player to hit two Grand Slams in one inning. He did it on April 23, 1999. – in the third inning of a Redbirds’ 12-5 win over the Dodgers (in LA). Surprisingly, both Grand Slams came off the same pitcher – Dodgers’ starter Chan Ho Park. Yep, they left Park in to take the thrashing. Park, by the way, finished the season 2-10, with a 7.43 ERA.
- Alex Rodriguez (Yankees, 2007 & 2009), Edwin Encarnacion (Blue Jays, 2013 & Mariners, 2019), Andre Dawson (Expos, 1978 & 1985), Jeff King (Pirates , 1995 & 1996) and Willie McCovey (Giants (1973 & 1977) are the only players to hit two home runs in an inning twice in their career.
- Carlos Baerga (Indians, 1993), Mark Bellhorn (Cubs, 2002) and Kendrys Morales (Angels , 2012) all hit home runs from both side of the plate in the same inning.
Baseball Roundtable Flash Back-to-Back … A Final Tale for this Post
In the top of the first inning of a game (May 2, 2002) between the Mariners and White Sox (in Chicago), White Sox’ starter Jon Rauch hit Mariners’ RF Ichiro Suzuki with the first pitch of the game. Second baseman Bret Boone followed with a home run on the very next pitch, and CF Mike Cameron followed with another dinger on a 1-2 pitch. The Mariners batted around and, by the time Boone came up for a second time that inning, held a 7-0 lead.
In his second at bat of the frame, Boone homered again (another two-run shot), this time on a 1-2 pitch from Jim Parque. Next up was Cameron, who hit the first pitch he saw from Parque for another home run. This remains the only time that two players have homered twice, back-to-back, in the same inning. The Mariners, by the way, won the contest 15-4.
Side Note: We could see some players added to these lists as Negro League statistics from 1920-1948 are further documented and add to the MLB record books.
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