Last updated on October 26th, 2023 at 06:42 am
A grand slam happens when a home run occurs with runners on first, second, and third. By hitting a home run with the bases loaded, the offensive team scores four runs on one swing since the hitter at the home plate also scores. The hitter who hits the home run with three runners on base receives 4 RBI’s during that one successful at-bat.
A grand slam can be from a traditional home run over the fence to hitting an inside-the-park home run.
What’s the Difference Between a Grand Slam and a Homerun?
A grand slam is a home run hit with three runners on base, while a home run can’t have three runners on. However, a regular home run could have nobody on base or up to two runners on the base paths. The main difference is that a grand slam has four scoring runs, while a home run can have between one and three.
How Rare is a Major League Baseball Grand Slam?
In the 2023 season, the LA Dodgers as a team lead the league with 11 grand slams. To put that in perspective, the team had a total of 249 home runs in the 2023 season. That means that less than 5% of their home runs came from a grand slam. You can see the full list of grand slams by teams with this link from State Muse.
Has Anyone Hit Two Grand Slams in a Game?
A total of 13 players have hit two grand slams during one game as of October 2021. Here is that list of the top 7 players from the most recent.
- Josh Willingham (Washington Nationals) in 2009
- Bill Mueller (Boston Red Sox) in 2003. Also, Bill Mueller is the only player to hit two grand slams from the left and right sides of the plate.
- Nomar Garciaparra (Boston Red Sox) in 1999
- Fernando Tatis (St. Louis Cardinals) in 1999
- Chris Hoiles (Baltimore Orioles) in 1998
- Robin Ventura (Chicago White Sox) in 1995
- Frank Robinson (Baltimore Orioles) in 1970
Who Has the Most Regular Season Career Grand Slams in Baseball?
As of October 2021, Alex Rodriguez holds the league record for most career grand slams, 25. Here is a list of the top 7 leaders with the most grand slams. If you want the complete list, you can visit mlb.com.
- Alex Rodriguez: 25
- Lou Gehrig: 23
- Manny Ramirez: 21
- Eddie Murray: 19
- Robin Ventura and Willie McCovey: 18
- Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, and Carlos Lee: 17
- Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Dave Kingman: 16
Conclusion: What is a Grand Slam in Baseball?
In summary, a grand slam occurs when a player hits a homerun with three runners on the basepaths. To put that into perspective, the LA Dodgers led the league with 11 grand slams in 2023. They hit a total of 249 home runs, which means that less than 5% of the home runs were grand slams.
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Greg Kristan, owner of The Stadium Reviews, LLC and TM Blast, LLC, brings his extensive experience visiting over half of the MLB ballparks, along with numerous MLS, NHL, NBA, and NFL venues, to provide in-depth coverage on the bag policy, food options, and parking. He has also been interviewed about his experiences on several sports podcasts.