baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an

error An error (from the Latin , meaning 'to wander'Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “error (n.), Etymology,” September 2023, .) is an inaccurate or incorrect action, thought, or judgement. In statistics, "error" refers to the difference between t ...

or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner (see

fielder's choice In baseball, fielder's choice (abbreviated FC) refers to a variety of plays involving an offensive player reaching a base due to the defense's attempt to put out another baserunner, or the defensive team's indifference to his advance. Fielder's c ...

). Extra-base hits are often not listed separately in tables of

baseball statistics Baseball statistics include a variety of metrics used to evaluate player and team performance in the sport of baseball. Because the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and player activity is characteristically distinguishable ind ...

, but are easily determined by calculating the sum total of a batter's

double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...

s, triples, and

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s. Extra-base hits are particularly valuable because they ensure that there will be no runners on base that will be forced to advance on the next fair ball. Another related statistic of interest that can be calculated is "extra bases on long hits". A batter gets three of these for each home run, two for each triple, and one for each double. Thus, leading the league in "Most extra bases in long hits" is a significant accomplishment in power hitting. The statistic Extra-Base Hits Allowed (for example by a pitcher or by the fielding team in general) is denoted by the abbreviation XBA.

Major League Baseball leaders

Career

The record for most career extra-base hits is 1,477, held by

Hank Aaron Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. Considered one ...

. Among players with at least 1,000 career hits,

Mark McGwire Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Card ...

is the only one to have had at least half of his hits go for extra bases.

Season

There have been 15 instances of a player recording 100 extra-base hits in a single season;

Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig ( ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941), also known as Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig, was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was ...

Chuck Klein Charles Herbert Klein (October 7, 1904 – March 28, 1958), nicknamed "the Hoosier Hammer" because of his Indiana roots, was an American professional baseball outfielder. Klein played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Philli ...

and Todd Helton are the only players to have achieved this twice, with Helton the only one to do so in consecutive seasons. The top 5 are as follows: (totals are current through the end of the 2016 season) #

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

(1921) – 119 #

(1927) – 117 #

Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants f ...

(2001) – 107 #

(1930) – 107 # Todd Helton (2001) – 105

Single game

The modern-era record for most extra-base hits by one batter, in one game, is five, held by 15 different players, including Lou Boudreau, Joe Adcock,

Willie Stargell Wilver Dornell Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001), nicknamed "Pops" later in his career, was an American professional baseball left fielder and first baseman who spent all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1962– 1982 ...

, Steve Garvey, Shawn Green, Kelly Shoppach,

Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 2007 to 2015, most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers teams ...

, Jackie Bradley Jr., Kris Bryant, José Ramírez, Matt Carpenter, Alex Dickerson, Luis Urías, Adolis García, and most recently Shohei Ohtani. Adock, Green, and Hamilton did so while hitting four home runs. In the postseason,

Albert Pujols José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (, ; born December 11, 1985) is a Dominicans, Dominican professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former first baseman and designated hitter who is the manager of the Leones del Escogido of the Domin ...

Hideki Matsui , nicknamed "Godzilla", is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and in Nipp ...

, Bob Robertson, Frank Isbell and Enrique Hernández have all recorded four extra-base hits in a game.

Consecutive games

Paul Waner Paul Glee Waner (April 16, 1903 – August 29, 1965), nicknamed "Big Poison", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams between 1926 and 1945, most notably playing his first 15 s ...

(1927) and Chipper Jones (2006) jointly hold the longest hitting streak for extra bases. Both players recorded extra-base hits in 14 consecutive games.

Team records

The Boston Red Sox recorded 17 extra-base hits in a 29–4 victory against the St. Louis Browns in 1950. In the postseason, the team single game record for extra-base hits is 13, by the New York Yankees against the Red Sox in game 3 of the 2004 ALCS. Two teams have 9 extra-base hits in a World Series game, namely the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates (in game 7 vs the Washington Senators) and the 2007 Boston Red Sox (game 1, vs the Colorado Rockies). The 2003 Boston Red Sox had 649 extra-base hits, the most by one team in a single season.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Extra Base Hit Baseball statistics Hit (baseball)