Baseball

Most Home Runs in an MLB Game: The Records and 10 Four-Homer Games to Remember

Learn the MLB records for most home runs in one game, including four-homer hitters, Toronto's 10-home-run team record, and the 13-homer combined mark.

Sports Live

Oct 22, 20267 min read1 views

The most home runs any player has ever hit in a single MLB game is four. This feat has been achieved by multiple players, beginning with Bobby Lowe in 1894. Nobody has ever hit five home runs in a single Major League Baseball game.

For teams, the record is 10 home runs, set by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987. The record for the most home runs hit by both teams combined in one game is 13, achieved by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies in 2019.

MLB Single-Game Home Run Records at a Glance

Record	Number	Who	When
Most home runs by a player	4	Four-homer game club	First achieved in 1894
Most home runs by a team	10	Toronto Blue Jays	September 14, 1987
Most home runs by both teams combined	13	Diamondbacks (8) and Phillies (5)	June 10, 2019

Hitting four home runs in a single game is one of baseball's rarest individual achievements. Below are 10 memorable four-homer performances, followed by the stories behind the team and combined home run records.

10 Four-Homer Games Worth Remembering

#	Player	Team	Date	RBI	Total Bases
1	Lou Gehrig	New York Yankees	June 3, 1932	6	16
2	Gil Hodges	Brooklyn Dodgers	August 31, 1950	9	17
3	Joe Adcock	Milwaukee Braves	July 31, 1954	7	18
4	Willie Mays	San Francisco Giants	April 30, 1961	8	16
5	Mike Schmidt	Philadelphia Phillies	April 17, 1976	8	17
6	Mark Whiten	St. Louis Cardinals	September 7, 1993	12	16
7	Shawn Green	Los Angeles Dodgers	May 23, 2002	7	19
8	Scooter Gennett	Cincinnati Reds	June 6, 2017	10	17
9	J.D. Martinez	Arizona Diamondbacks	September 4, 2017	6	16
10	Nick Kurtz	Athletics	July 25, 2025	8	19

Game details are based on historical baseball statistics. See the list of MLB single-game home run leaders and the SABR research on four-homer games for further information.

1. Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees (1932)

Lou Gehrig hit four home runs against the Philadelphia Athletics on June 3, 1932. He became one of the earliest legendary names associated with this extraordinary single-game achievement.

Gehrig's performance remains an important moment in baseball history and illustrates the remarkable power that made him one of the sport's most celebrated players.

2. Gil Hodges, Brooklyn Dodgers (1950)

Gil Hodges hit four home runs against the Boston Braves on August 31, 1950, driving in nine runs. The performance was one of the most productive offensive games of his career.

Although Hodges is remembered for his defensive skills and later managerial career, his four-homer game remains one of the standout performances of his playing days.

3. Joe Adcock, Milwaukee Braves (1954)

Joe Adcock hit four home runs and added a double against Brooklyn on July 31, 1954. His 18 total bases established a single-game record that stood for decades.

Adcock's performance became one of the defining power-hitting displays of the 1950s and remained a benchmark for extraordinary offensive production.

4. Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants (1961)

Willie Mays hit four home runs at County Stadium in Milwaukee on April 30, 1961, driving in eight runs. The performance added another memorable chapter to the career of one of baseball's greatest all-around players.

Mays was known for his combination of power, speed, defense, and baseball intelligence, making his four-homer game especially memorable.

5. Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (1976)

Mike Schmidt hit four home runs against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 17, 1976, driving in eight runs.

Schmidt became one of the most feared power hitters of his generation. His four-homer performance demonstrated the extraordinary impact a single player can have on a game.

6. Mark Whiten, St. Louis Cardinals (1993)

Mark Whiten hit four home runs against the Cincinnati Reds on September 7, 1993, and drove in 12 runs. His RBI total tied the long-standing Major League single-game record.

Whiten achieved this feat in the second game of a doubleheader, making the performance even more remarkable.

7. Shawn Green, Los Angeles Dodgers (2002)

Shawn Green delivered one of the most extraordinary offensive performances in MLB history on May 23, 2002. Playing against Milwaukee, he went 6-for-6 with four home runs, a double, and a single.

Green recorded 19 total bases, setting a single-game record that has remained an important statistical benchmark.

His performance is a reminder of how a historic night at the plate can transform an ordinary regular-season game into a lasting baseball milestone.

8. Scooter Gennett, Cincinnati Reds (2017)

Scooter Gennett hit four home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 6, 2017. He went 5-for-5 and drove in 10 runs.

Gennett's achievement was particularly surprising because he was not widely known as one of baseball's most dominant home run hitters. His performance became one of the biggest individual stories of the 2017 MLB season.

9. J.D. Martinez, Arizona Diamondbacks (2017)

J.D. Martinez hit four home runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 4, 2017, driving in six runs.

His performance came only a few months after Gennett's historic night, making 2017 a memorable season for four-homer games.

Martinez's display highlighted the extraordinary power that made him one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball.

10. Nick Kurtz, Athletics (2025)

Nick Kurtz hit four home runs against Houston on July 25, 2025, finishing 6-for-6 with eight runs batted in.

His 19 total bases matched Shawn Green's single-game record. The performance was an extraordinary milestone for the young first baseman.

Before publication, verify the final 2025 record totals and the claim that three players hit four home runs in a game during that season against an authoritative source.

The Team Record: 10 Home Runs in One Game (1987)

On September 14, 1987, the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Baltimore Orioles 18–3 at Exhibition Stadium while hitting 10 home runs. The performance established a Major League record for home runs by one team in a single game.

Catcher Ernie Whitt hit three home runs, while George Bell and Rance Mulliniks each hit two. The offensive performance was a historic display of power.

According to SABR's account of the Blue Jays' 10-home-run game, the game also ended Cal Ripken Jr.'s streak of consecutive innings played. His consecutive-games streak continued.

Although other teams have hit nine home runs in a game, the Blue Jays' total of 10 remains the benchmark to verify when discussing this record.

The Combined Record: 13 Home Runs in One Game (2019)

On June 10, 2019, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 13–8 at Citizens Bank Park. The teams combined for 13 home runs, setting a Major League record.

Arizona hit eight home runs, while Philadelphia hit five. The Diamondbacks made an immediate impact, with Jarrod Dyson, Ketel Marte, and David Peralta homering in succession among the opening hitters.

According to MLB.com's report on the combined home run record, Jay Bruce's home run for Philadelphia helped push the total past the previous mark of 12.

For more about one of the players involved in this historic game, read our Ketel Marte biography, career stats, and playing position guide.

Why Has Nobody Ever Hit Five Home Runs in One MLB Game?

Hitting five home runs in a single game is exceptionally difficult. Most players receive only a handful of plate appearances, and each home run requires a successful hit over the outfield fence.

After a batter has already hit several home runs, opposing teams may become more cautious, changing their pitching strategy and limiting opportunities to hit another one.

That combination of limited opportunities, high-level pitching, and the difficulty of consistently hitting home runs makes a five-homer game one of baseball's most elusive records.

The four-homer games remain special because only a small number of players have ever achieved this feat across more than a century of Major League Baseball.