List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders

A man, wearing a baseball cap with a "B" in the center and a white baseball uniform with a square-pattern design and the Brooklyn Dodgers stylized "B" logo on the left breast, looks forward smiling.
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Wilbert Robinson (left) and Rennie Stennett (not pictured) hold the record for most hits in a nine-inning game with seven, while Cal McVey (right) amassed six hits in each of two consecutive games.

In baseball, a hit is credited to a batter when he reaches first base – or any subsequent base – safely after hitting a fair ball, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.[1][2] One hundred eighteen different players have recorded at least six hits in a single nine-inning Major League Baseball game, the most recent being Luis García of the Washington Nationals on May 26, 2023. Five players have accomplished the feat more than once in their career; no player has ever recorded more than seven hits in a nine-inning game. Davy Force was the first player to collect six hits in a single game, doing so for the Philadelphia Athletics against the Chicago White Stockings on June 27, 1876.[3]

These games have resulted in other single-game MLB records being set in connection with the prodigious offensive performance. Shawn Green, for example, established a new major league record with 19 total bases and finished with a total of five extra-base hits,[4] tying a National League record that was also achieved by Larry Twitchell during the latter's six-hit game.[5] Four of Green's six hits were home runs, equaling the record for most home runs in one game.[4] Jim Bottomley, Walker Cooper, Anthony Rendon, and Wilbert Robinson hit 10 or more runs batted in (RBI) to complement their six hits.[6][7][8][9] Robinson proceeded to collect a seventh hit and an eleventh RBI to set single-game records in both categories.[6] Although his record of 11 RBIs has since been broken, Robinson's seven hits in a nine-inning game has been matched only by Rennie Stennett.[10]

Guy Hecker, the only pitcher to have accomplished the feat, also broke the single-game major league record for runs scored with seven.[11] Cal McVey is the sole player to collect six hits in each of two consecutive games.[12][13] Seven players hit for the cycle during their six-hit game.[14] Zaza Harvey has the fewest career hits among players who have six hits in one game with 86, while Ty Cobb – with 4,189[A] – had more hits than any other player in this group and amassed the second most in major league history. Cobb, Cal Ripken Jr., and Paul Waner are also members of the 3,000 hit club.[19]

Of the 75 players eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame who have recorded six hits in a nine-inning game, eighteen have been elected, three on the first ballot.[20] Players are eligible for the Hall of Fame if they have played in at least 10 MLB seasons, and have either been retired for five seasons or deceased for at least six months.[21] These requirements leave six players ineligible who are active, six players ineligible who are living and have played in the past five seasons, and twenty-six players ineligible who did not play in 10 seasons.

  1. ^ "Official Rules: 9.05 – Base Hits" (PDF). MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  2. ^ "Guide to baseball". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  3. ^ Nemec, David; Flatow, Scott (December 16, 2008). This Day in Baseball: A Day-by-Day Record of the Events That Shaped the Game. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 127. ISBN 9781589794078. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  4. ^ a b DiGiovanna, Mike (May 24, 2002). "Green's Fantastic 4". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  5. ^ Marshall, Brian. "Larry Twitchell's Big Day". Baseball Research Journal. Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Blevins, Dave (December 23, 2011). The Sports Hall of Fame Encyclopedia: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer. Scarecrow Press. p. 823. ISBN 9781461673705. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  7. ^ "September 16, 1924 St. Louis Cardinals at Brooklyn Robins Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. September 16, 1924. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cooper1949 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rendon2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Keenan, Jimmy. "June 10, 1892: Seven hits in seven tries for Wilbert Robinson". Baseball Research Journal. Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  11. ^ Bailey, Bob. "August 15, 1886: Guy Hecker – hitting pitcher". Baseball Research Journal. Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  12. ^ Liebman, Ronald G. "Consecutive-Game Hitting Streaks". Baseball Research Journal. Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  13. ^ Siwoff, Seymour, ed. (2013). "The Elias Book of Baseball Records (sample)" (PDF). Elias Sports Bureau. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cycles chron was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference CobbBR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ "Ty Cobb". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on December 14, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  17. ^ Ginsburg, Daniel. "Ty Cobb". The Baseball Biography Project. Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  18. ^ "Ty Cobb Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  19. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Hits". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  20. ^ "Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  21. ^ "Rules for Election". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved October 8, 2016.


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