List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their final major league at bat
This is a list of the Major League Baseball (MLB) players who have hit a home run in their final major league at bat. The feat was first accomplished in 1890 by Buck West, and most recently by Stephen Vogt in 2022.
Paul Gillespie and John Miller are the only players in MLB history to hit home runs in their first and last major-league at bats. Bobby Kielty and David Ross both hit their final home runs in a World Series game—Kielty hit his for the Boston Red Sox in the series-clinching Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, while Ross's occurred in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and was an important contribution to ending the 108 year title drought of the Chicago Cubs. Mickey Cochrane and Ted Williams are the only players on this list who are inductees of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Players[edit]
Many players in the below list hit a home run the final time they batted in the last game of their professional career—that is, at the professional level, the player never batted again or played in another game—one notable example being Ted Williams.[2] However, circumstances may vary—for example, Mickey Cochrane homered in his final at bat (hence his inclusion in the below list) but was hit by a pitch in his final plate appearance.[3] Because pitchers bat less often than position players, especially since the introduction of the designated hitter, some pitchers in the below list played in many major-league games after their final at bat; for example, Tim Stoddard, who homered in his final at bat in June 1986, pitched in the major leagues through July 1989.[4] In other cases, a player in the below list had a very brief major-league career, but continued playing professionally at the minor-league level—one example is Chris Jelic, who played in only four major-league games, all late in the 1990 season, then continued playing professionally through 1993.[5]
Note: Baseball Almanac, the primary source for this section, lists and numbers players who have accomplished the feat during regular-season games, and provides separate commentary on players who have done so in postseason games.[6]
| † | Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame |
| # | Denotes player was a pitcher |
|---|
Regular season[edit]
Source:[6]
Postseason[edit]
| No. | Player | Career total[a] | Date | Team | Series / Game | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chuck Carr | 13 | October 3, 1997 | Houston Astros | 1997 NLDS / Game 3 | [9] |
| 2 | Troy O'Leary | 127 | October 15, 2003 | Chicago Cubs | 2003 NLCS / Game 7 | [10] |
| 3 | Tom Wilson | 15 | October 5, 2004 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 2004 NLDS / Game 1 | [11] |
| 4 | Bobby Kielty | 53 | October 28, 2007 | Boston Red Sox | 2007 World Series / Game 4 | [12] |
| 5 | David Ross | 106 | November 2, 2016 | Chicago Cubs | 2016 World Series / Game 7 | [13] |
| 6 | Russell Martin | 191 | October 6, 2019 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 2019 NLDS / Game 3 | [14] |
Source:[6]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b "Career total" figures refer to regular-season home runs only; home runs hit in all-star contests or postseason games are excluded.
- ^ Kinsler played in 1888 regular-season games, predominantly as a second baseman—he made one appearance as a pitcher, which was the final game of his career, in which he hit a home run in his final at bat.[7][8]
References[edit]
- ^ "Ted Williams Retires After 521st Home Run". Coeur d'Alene Press. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. UP. September 29, 1960. p. 4. Retrieved April 6, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Updike, John (October 22, 1960). "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via newyorker.com.
- ^ "New York Yankees 4, Detroit Tigers 3". Retrosheet. May 25, 1937. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Tim Stoddard". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Chris Jelic Minor Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Home Run in Last At-Bat". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ "Ian Kinsler". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "Tampa Bay Rays 10, San Diego Padres 4". Retrosheet. August 12, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "The 1997 HOU N Division Series Batting Log for Chuck Carr". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "The 2003 CHI N League Championship Series Batting Log for Troy O'Leary". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "The 2004 LA N Division Series Batting Log for Tom Wilson". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "The 2007 BOS A World Series Batting Log for Bobby Kielty". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "The 2016 CHI N World Series Batting Log for David Ross". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "The 2019 LA N Division Series Batting Log for Russell Martin". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 7, 2024.