List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their first major league at bat


In baseball, a home run is credited to a batter when he hits a fair ball and reaches home safely on the same play, without the benefit of an error. One hundred and twenty-six different players have hit a home run in their first at bat of a Major League Baseball game to date, the most recent being Tyler Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds on July 27, 2020. George Tebeau and Mike Griffin both hit home runs in their first at bats on April 16, 1887. Both players are recognized as the first player to homer in his first major league at bat because the exact time when each home run was hit is unclear.
Luke Stuart, Walter Mueller, and Johnnie LeMaster hit inside-the-park home runs in their first at bats. Bill Duggleby, Jeremy Hermida, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Daniel Nava hit grand slams; Kouzmanoff and Nava did so on the first pitch. Ernie Koy and Heinie Mueller were the first players to accomplish the feat in the same game, doing so for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively, in the first inning of Opening Day in 1938. This was equalled in 2016 by Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge, who became the only players to achieve the feat as teammates and in back-to-back at bats. Two players, Bob Nieman and Keith McDonald, each homered in their second at bat as well. Paul Gillespie and John Miller are the only players to hit home runs in both their first and last major league at bats; for Miller these were the only two home runs of his MLB career. For 23 players, their first at bat home run was the only home run of their major league careers. On the other hand, Gary Gaetti hit more home runs than any other player to hit one in their first at bat.
Of the 31 players eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame who have hit a home run in their first major league at bat, two – Earl Averill and Hoyt Wilhelm – have been elected, neither of them on the first ballot. 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. These requirements leave 19 players ineligible who are active, 1 player ineligible who is living and has played in the past five seasons, and 75 players ineligible who did not play in 10 seasons.

Players

PlayerName of the player
DateDate of the game
TeamThe player's team at the time of the game
NLNational League
ALAmerican League
AAAmerican Association
Career HRThe number of home runs the player hit in his MLB career
BoxBox score with play by play
Indicates the player was a pitcher
Indicates the home run was hit on the first pitch the player faced in his MLB career
Indicates the home run was a grand slam
Indicates the home run was hit as a pinch hitter
Indicates game in which multiple players homered in their first major league at bat
Indicates the home runs were hit in consecutive at bats
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
Player is active

PlayerDateTeamLeagueCareer HRBoxRef
Cincinnati Red StockingsAA15
Baltimore OriolesAA42
Pittsburgh AlleghenysNL1
Boston BeaneatersNL3
Philadelphia PhilliesNL6
Boston BeaneatersNL25
St. Louis BrownsAL1
Pittsburgh PiratesNL2
Cleveland IndiansAL238
Brooklyn RobinsNL3
Brooklyn RobinsNL8
St. Louis CardinalsNL1
Philadelphia AthleticsAL2
Philadelphia AthleticsAL4
Brooklyn DodgersNL36
Philadelphia PhilliesNL17
Boston Red SoxAL1
Cincinnati RedsNL69
Chicago CubsNL6
New York GiantsNL31
Detroit TigersAL1
New York GiantsNL114
Boston Red SoxAL20
Brooklyn DodgersNL1
Detroit TigersAL12
New York GiantsNL2
Philadelphia PhilliesNL3
Cincinnati RedsNL5
St. Louis BrownsAL125
New York GiantsNL1
St. Louis CardinalsNL142
Milwaukee BravesNL21
New York GiantsNL202
Chicago CubsNL2
Pittsburgh PiratesNL15
Chicago CubsNL1
Boston Red SoxAL79
Washington SenatorsAL32
Baltimore OriolesAL3
Detroit TigersAL84
Kansas City AthleticsAL79
Detroit TigersAL1
Washington SenatorsAL38
New York YankeesAL2
Minnesota TwinsAL20
Oakland AthleticsAL9
Detroit TigersAL4
California AngelsAL1
New York MetsNL38
Detroit TigersAL3
San Francisco GiantsNL4
Houston AstrosNL1
Minnesota TwinsAL21
San Francisco GiantsNL22
Toronto Blue JaysAL35
California AngelsAL1
Montreal ExposNL260
Minnesota TwinsAL360
Chicago CubsNL108
New York MetsNL48
Minnesota TwinsAL1
San Francisco GiantsNL284
Oakland AthleticsAL162
Cleveland IndiansAL195
Philadelphia PhilliesNL55
Toronto Blue JaysAL55
Los Angeles DodgersNL57
San Diego PadresNL1
Chicago CubsNL4
Colorado RockiesNL3
Florida MarlinsNL1
Los Angeles DodgersNL3
Kansas City RoyalsAL42
Atlanta BravesNL325
Montreal ExposNL2
Montreal ExposNL114
Philadelphia PhilliesNL63
Chicago White SoxAL358
Montreal ExposNL2
Tampa Bay Devil RaysAL1
Arizona DiamondbacksNL5
St. Louis CardinalsNL3
St. Louis CardinalsNL34
St. Louis CardinalsNL1
New York YankeesAL115
Chicago White SoxAL145
Houston AstrosNL1
New York MetsNL32
St. Louis CardinalsNL15
Seattle MarinersAL46
New York YankeesAL14
New York MetsNL100
Florida MarlinsNL65
Los Angeles AngelsAL267
St. Louis CardinalsNL10
Cleveland IndiansAL87
Houston AstrosNL2
Chicago White SoxAL34
Tampa Bay Devil RaysAL31
St. Louis CardinalsNL1
Baltimore OriolesAL5
Houston AstrosNL1
Atlanta BravesNL12
Arizona DiamondbacksNL88
Arizona DiamondbacksNL6
Atlanta BravesNL144
Minnesota TwinsAL8
Chicago CubsNL133
Boston Red SoxAL29
Toronto Blue JaysAL80
Tampa Bay RaysAL32
Washington NationalsNL1
San Francisco GiantsNL9
Pittsburgh PiratesNL108
San Diego PadresNL1
Texas RangersAL52
Chicago CubsNL86
Minnesota TwinsAL106
Detroit TigersAL1
Chicago CubsNL67
New York YankeesAL33
New York YankeesAL111
St. Louis CardinalsNL74
St. Louis CardinalsNL4
Chicago White SoxAL3
Cincinnati RedsNL1