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.
| Player (X) | Name of the player and number of six hit games they had at that point |
|---|---|
| Date | Date of the game |
| Team | The player's team at the time of the game |
| Lge. | The league the player's team is a member of |
| NL | National League |
| AL | American League |
| AA | American Association |
| PL | Players' League |
| Opposing team | The team against whom the player had six hits |
| AB | Number of times at bat the player was credited with |
| Hits | Number of hits the player was credited with |
| 2B | Number of hits that were doubles |
| 3B | Number of hits that were triples |
| HR | Number of hits that were home runs |
| Career hits | The number of hits the player had in his MLB career |
| Box | Box score with play by play (if available) |
| ^ | Indicates the player hit for the cycle |
| † | Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |
| ‡ | Player is active |
As of 2019[update], 47 different players have recorded at least six hits in an extra-inning Major League Baseball (MLB) game. Only Jimmie Foxx has accomplished the feat more than once in his career[13] and no player has ever amassed more than nine hits in a game, with Johnny Burnett holding that distinction.[257] Kirby Puckett is the only player to collect six hits in both a nine-inning and an extra-inning game.[13]
The following list is kept separate from the above list of players who have six or more hits in a nine-inning game. This is due to the differing number of innings played during an extra-inning game, the lack of a definitive endpoint to the game that would otherwise allow for a fair comparison to be made, and the advantage of having more opportunities at bat during an extra-inning game as opposed to one lasting nine innings.
| Inn. | Innings played during the game |
|---|---|
| § | Indicates the player recorded six hits before the end of the ninth inning[D] |
