Baseball Reference Blog
Top 13 Players with Most Grand Slams in MLB History
Posted by Andrew Weiser on December 1, 2023
No play in baseball is as exciting as the grand slam. Hitting a home run with the bases loaded can instantly turn a game around or blow it wide open. Older fans can enjoy explaining what is a grand slam in baseball to younger fans and watching their face light up the first time they see the bases cleared in one swing.
Grand slams have been enthralling baseball fans as long as the game has been played and many historic grand slams are the stuff of legends. But who has the most grand slams in baseball history? 13 ball players have cleared the bases more than 15 times in their careers. The list of who has the most grand slams is a who’s who of some of the greatest sluggers in the Hall of Fame, and some who may find themselves there someday soon.
Álex Rodríguez
Positions: Shortstop and Third Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-3, 230lb (190cm, 104kg)
Born: July 27, 1975 (Age: 48-096d) in New York, NY us
Draft: Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1st round (1st) of the 1993 MLB June Amateur Draft from Westminster Christian School (Miami, FL).
High School: Westminster Christian School (Miami, FL)
Debut:
July 8, 1994
(Age 18-346d,
16,544th in major league history)
vs. BOS 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
August 12, 2016
(Age 41-016d)
vs. TBR 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1995 season
Agents: Jay Reisinger, Jim Sharp • Previously: Scott Boras, Susy Dunand
National Team: us USA (WBC,18U)
Full Name: Alexander Enmanuel Rodriguez
Nicknames: A-Rod
Pronunciation: \Rod-RI-gez\
Instagram: @arod
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Uncle of Joe Dunand
Career
117.5
10566
3115
696
.295
2021
2086
329
.380
.550
.930
140
With 25 career grand slams over his 22 year career, shortstop and third baseman Alex Rodriguez holds the MLB record for grand slams. Rodriguez’s first grand slam came during his breakout 1996 season with the Seattle Mariners. He would hit three grand slams that season at 36 total home runs. 15 of his grand slams came with the New York Yankees. Despite having the most grand slams in baseball, Rodriguez remains a polarizing figure for induction in the Hall of Fame. He received 35.7 percent of the vote in 2023, his second year of eligibility.
Lou Gehrig
Position: First Baseman
Bats: Left • Throws: Left
6-0, 200lb (183cm, 90kg)
Born: June 19, 1903 in New York, NY us
Died: June 2, 1941 (Aged 37-348d) in Bronx, NY
Buried: Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, NY
High School: HS of Commerce (New York, NY)
School: Columbia University (New York, NY)
Debut:
June 15, 1923
(Age 19-361d,
5,754th in major league history)
vs. SLB 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
April 30, 1939
(Age 35-315d)
vs. WSH 4 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1939.
(Voted by Special Election)
View Lou Gehrig’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1925 season
Full Name: Henry Louis Gehrig
Nicknames: The Iron Horse, Biscuit Pants, Buster, Laruppin’, Crown Prince of Swat or Columbia
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
113.8
8001
2721
493
.340
1888
1995
102
.447
.632
1.080
179
Until A-Rod broke his record on September 20, 2013, Lou Gehrig had the record for grand slams in a career with 23. A decade later, this record still stands as the second-most grand slams in baseball history. Gehrig’s impressive record stood for 75 years, as the final grand slam of his career came on August 20, 1938 against the Philadelphia Athletics. Gehrig was inducted into the Hall of Fame the year he retired, 1939, by special election.
Manny Ramírez
Position: Outfielder
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-0, 225lb (183cm, 102kg)
Born: May 30, 1972 (Age: 51-154d) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic do
Draft: Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round (13th) of the 1991 MLB June Amateur Draft from George Washington HS (New York, NY).
High School: George Washington HS (New York, NY)
Debut:
September 2, 1993
(Age 21-095d,
16,396th in major league history)
vs. MIN 4 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
April 6, 2011
(Age 38-311d)
vs. LAA 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1994 season
Agents: Boras Corporation • Previously: Eric Goldschmidt, Greg Genske, Jeff Moorad
Full Name: Manuel Aristides Ramírez
Nicknames: Man-Ram, Manny Being Manny or Mannywood
Pronunciation: \Ruh-MEER-ez\
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
69.3
8244
2574
555
.312
1544
1831
38
.411
.585
.996
154
With 21 career grand slams, Manny Ramirez is the only other player who has the most grand slams to eclipse the 20 mark. Ramirez has hit three grand slams in a season three times, 1996, 2000 and 2005. His first career grand slam came with the Cleveland Indians off Chicago White Sox pitcher Jason Bere. 20 grand slams and two World Series championships later, he would retire in 2011. Despite his Hall of Fame numbers, like many stars of his era Cooperstown continues to evade Ramirez due to his association with PEDs.
Eddie Murray
Position: First Baseman
Bats: Both • Throws: Right
6-2, 190lb (188cm, 86kg)
Born: February 24, 1956 (Age: 67-249d) in Los Angeles, CA us
Draft: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 3rd round of the 1973 MLB June Amateur Draft from Locke HS (Los Angeles, CA).
High School: Locke HS (Los Angeles, CA)
School: California State University, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
Debut:
April 7, 1977
(Age 21-042d,
13,841st in major league history)
vs. TEX 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
September 20, 1997
(Age 41-208d)
vs. COL 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 2003.
(Voted by BBWAA on 423/496 ballots)
View Eddie Murray’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1977 season
Agents: Ron Shapiro
Full Name: Eddie Clarence Murray
Nicknames: Steady Eddie or Tired
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Rich Murray
Career
68.6
11336
3255
504
.287
1627
1917
110
.359
.476
.836
129
A member of both the 3000 hit and the 500 home run clubs, first baseman Eddie Murray cleared the bases 19 times in his 21 seasons. Three of these came in the 1985 season with the Baltimore Orioles. During the 1996 season, he was traded back to Baltimore from the Cleveland Indians. In his shorter second stint with the Orioles, he hit 10 home runs, two of which were grand slams–at the age of 40. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.
Willie McCovey
Positions: First Baseman and Leftfielder
Bats: Left • Throws: Left
6-4, 198lb (193cm, 89kg)
Born: January 10, 1938 in Mobile, AL us
Died: October 31, 2018 (Aged 80-294d) in Palo Alto, CA
Buried: Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, CA
High School: Central HS (Mobile, AL)
Debut:
July 30, 1959
(Age 21-201d,
11,660th in major league history)
vs. PHI 4 AB, 4 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
July 6, 1980
(Age 42-178d)
vs. LAD 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1986.
(Voted by BBWAA on 346/425 ballots)
View Willie McCovey’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1959 season
Full Name: Willie Lee McCovey
Nicknames: Stretch, Mac or Big Mac
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
64.5
8197
2211
521
.270
1229
1555
26
.374
.515
.889
147
Spending the majority of his 22 season career with the San Francisco Giants, Willie McCovey’s 18 career grand slams make him the National League record holder for who has the most grand slams. All but two of his 18 grand slams came in a Giants uniform. McCovey hit three grand slams during the 1967 season and two grand slams during his 1969 MVP season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986 and passed away in 2018 at the age of 80.
Robin Ventura
Positions: Third Baseman and First Baseman
Bats: Left • Throws: Right
6-1, 185lb (185cm, 83kg)
Born: July 14, 1967 (Age: 56-109d) in Santa Maria, CA us
Draft: Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 1st round (10th) of the 1988 MLB June Amateur Draft from Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK).
High School: Righetti HS (Santa Maria, CA)
School: Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
Debut:
September 12, 1989
(Age 22-060d,
15,718th in major league history)
vs. BAL 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
October 2, 2004
(Age 37-080d)
vs. SFG 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1990 season
Agents: John Boggs & Associates
National Team: us USA (Oly,College)
Full Name: Robin Mark Ventura
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
Career
56.1
7064
1885
294
.267
1006
1182
24
.362
.444
.806
114
Though he hit less than 300 home runs in his 16 year career, two-time all-star Robin Ventura hit as many grand slams as Willie McCovey with 18. Most grand slams baseball players hit are typically the highlight of the game, as was Ventura’s walk-off grand slam in the 1999 NLCS. However, on September 4, 1995 Ventura hit two home runs in a single game, the only player on this list to accomplish such a feat.
Jimmie Foxx
Positions: First Baseman, Third Baseman and Catcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-0, 195lb (183cm, 88kg)
Born: October 22, 1907 in Sudlersville, MD us
Died: July 21, 1967 (Aged 59-272d) in Miami, FL
Buried: Flagler Memorial Park, Miami, FL
High School: Sudlersville HS (Sudlersville, MD)
Debut:
May 1, 1925
(Age 17-191d,
6,193rd in major league history)
vs. WSH 1 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
September 23, 1945
(Age 37-336d)
vs. BRO 3 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1951.
(Voted by BBWAA on 179/226 ballots)
View Jimmie Foxx’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1927 season
Full Name: James Emory Foxx
Nicknames: Beast or Double X
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
93.0
8134
2646
534
.325
1751
1922
87
.428
.609
1.038
163
Three players retired with 17 grand slams in their career, tying for the seventh most grand slams in baseball. The first being Hall of Famer and three time MVP, Jimmie Foxx. Foxx hit three grand slams in a season on four separate occasions, 1932, 1934, 1938 and 1940. This includes 2 grand slams in three days in September 1932. Foxx retired in 1945 with a career batting average of .325 and 534 total homers. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 1951 and passed away in 1967.
Ted Williams
Position: Leftfielder
Bats: Left • Throws: Right
6-3, 205lb (190cm, 92kg)
Born: August 30, 1918 in San Diego, CA us
Died: July 5, 2002 (Aged 83-309d) in Inverness, FL
Buried: Frozen
High School: Herbert Hoover HS (San Diego, CA)
Debut:
April 20, 1939
(Age 20-233d,
8,628th in major league history)
vs. NYY 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
September 28, 1960
(Age 42-029d)
vs. BAL 3 AB, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1966.
(Voted by BBWAA on 282/302 ballots)
View Ted Williams’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1939 season
Full Name: Theodore Samuel Williams
Nicknames: The Kid, Teddy Ballgame, Splendid Splinter or Thumper
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
121.8
7706
2654
521
.344
1798
1839
24
.482
.634
1.116
191
Arguably the greatest hitter of all time, Ted Williams has 17 grand slams on his resume alongside a .344 lifetime average and 1,839 RBI. Williams spent his entire 19 year career with the Red Sox and hit three grand slams in a single season only once, albeit in 1955 at the age of 37. Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966 on his first ballot with 93.4 percent of the vote.
Carlos Lee
Positions: Leftfielder and First Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-2, 270lb (188cm, 122kg)
Born: June 20, 1976 (Age: 47-133d) in Aguadulce, Panama pa
High School: Rodolfo Chiari (Aguadulce, Panama)
Debut:
May 7, 1999
(Age 22-321d,
17,448th in major league history)
vs. OAK 4 AB, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
October 3, 2012
(Age 36-105d)
vs. NYM 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1999 season
Agents: Adam Katz • Previously: Scott Boras
Full Name: Carlos Lee
Nicknames: El Caballo
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
Career
28.3
7983
2273
358
.285
1125
1363
125
.339
.483
.821
113
Tied with Foxx and Williams for the seventh-most grand slams in baseball is Carlos Lee who retired in 2012 with 17. In 2010 while playing with the Houston Astros, Lee became the first player in MLB history to hit three extra-inning grand slams in a career. Lee hit seven of his grand slams with the Astros, a club record he shares with Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve. Lee’s 17 grand slams came in just 358 career home runs, though this total makes him the all-time leading home run leader among players born in Panama.
Babe Ruth
Positions: Outfielder and Pitcher
Bats: Left • Throws: Left
6-2, 215lb (188cm, 97kg)
Born: February 6, 1895 in Baltimore, MD us
Died: August 16, 1948 (Aged 53-192d) in New York, NY
Buried: Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY
High School: St. Mary’s HS (Baltimore, MD)
Debut:
July 11, 1914
(Age 19-155d,
4,204th in major league history)
vs. CLE 7.0 IP, 8 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 2 ER, W
Last Game:
May 30, 1935
(Age 40-113d)
vs. PHI 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1936.
(Voted by BBWAA on 215/226 ballots)
Induction ceremony in Cooperstown held in 1939.
View Babe Ruth’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1915 season
Full Name: George Herman Ruth
Nicknames: Babe, The Bambino, The Sultan Of Swat, Jidge, The Colossus of Clout or The King of Crash
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
182.6
8399
2873
714
.342
2174
2214
123
.474
.690
1.164
206
Four players with 16 round out this list of who has the most grand slams, beginning with Babe Ruth. Ruth’s first career grand slam came during the 1919 season with the Boston Red Sox…as did his second, and third, and fourth. He would infamously be sold to the Yankees the following season where he would go on to hit 12 more grand slams and win four World Series. The Bambino is also the only player to hit a grand slam in consecutive games twice in his career, in 1927 and 1929.
Henry Aaron
Name Note: commonly referred to as Hank Aaron
Positions: Rightfielder and First Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-0, 180lb (183cm, 81kg)
Born: February 5, 1934 in Mobile, AL us
Died: January 22, 2021 (Aged 86-352d) in Atlanta, GA
Buried: Southview Cemetery, Atlanta, GA
High School: Allen Institute (Mobile, AL)
Debut:
April 13, 1954
(Age 20-067d,
11,071st in major league history)
vs. CIN 5 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
October 3, 1976
(Age 42-241d)
vs. DET 3 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1982.
(Voted by BBWAA on 406/415 ballots)
View Henry Aaron’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1954 season
Full Name: Henry Louis Aaron
Nicknames: Hammer, Hammerin’ Hank or Bad Henry
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Tommie Aaron
Career
143.0
12364
3771
755
.305
2174
2297
240
.374
.555
.928
155
Hammerin’ Hank finds himself among players with the most grand slams in baseball with 16. Perhaps unsurprising considering he hit 755 total home runs in a career, an all-time record that stood for over three decades. Shortly after breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record of 714, Aaron hit his 719th home run and 15th grand slam. At the time, he passed Willie McCovey the National League record for grand slams. However, McCovey would end up with two more than Aaron when it was all said and done. The two still lead the National League in grand slams.
Dave Kingman
Positions: Leftfielder, First Baseman and Third Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-6, 210lb (198cm, 95kg)
Born: December 21, 1948 (Age: 74-314d) in Pendleton, OR us
Draft: Drafted by the California Angels in the 2nd round of the 1967 MLB June Amateur Draft from Prospect HS (Mount Prospect, IL), the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st round (9th) of the 1968 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase and the San Francisco Giants in the 1st round (1st) of the 1970 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase from University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA).
High School: Prospect HS (Mount Prospect, IL)
Schools: William Rainey Harper College (Palatine, IL), University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Debut:
July 30, 1971
(Age 22-221d,
13,155th in major league history)
vs. PIT 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
October 5, 1986
(Age 37-288d)
vs. KCR 4 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1972 season
Full Name: David Arthur Kingman
Nicknames: Kong or Sky King
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
Career
17.3
6677
1575
442
.236
901
1210
85
.302
.478
.780
115
In 1986, Dave Kingman retired with 16 grand slams out of 442 home runs, placing him in the same company as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron with the then-fourth most grand slams in baseball. Despite this, he was never inducted into the Hall of Fame, making him the first 400 home run hitter kept out of Cooperstown. Kingman’s career showed early promise of slugging greatness. His first career home run in 1971 was a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh against the Pirates.
Albert Pujols
Positions: First Baseman, Leftfielder and Third Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-3, 235lb (190cm, 106kg)
Born: January 16, 1980 (Age: 43-288d) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic do
Draft: Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB June Amateur Draft from Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods (Kansas City, MO).
High School: Fort Osage HS (Independence, MO)
School: Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods (Kansas City, MO)
Debut:
April 2, 2001
(Age 21-076d,
17,809th in major league history)
vs. COL 3 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
October 4, 2022
(Age 42-261d)
vs. PIT 2 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 2001 season
Agents: MVP Sports Group
Full Name: Jose Alberto Pujols
Nicknames: Prince Albert, Phat Albert, The Machine, La Maquina or Tio Albert
Pronunciation: \POO-hulse\
Instagram: @albertpujols
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
- 3x MVP
- Rookie of the Year
- 11x All-Star
- 2x World Series
- 2x Gold Glove
- 6x Silver Slugger
- Batting Title
- NLCS MVP
- 3x ML PoY
Career
101.5
11421
3384
703
.296
1914
2218
117
.374
.544
.918
145
One of only four players to mash 700 home runs, Albert Pujols ended his career in 2022 tied with Ruth, Aaron and Kingman with 16 grand slams. Pujols is tied with Ernie Banks for the National League record for grand slams in a season with five in 2009. He will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028.
No player has hit three grand slams in one game. The 2011 New York Yankees became the first team to hit for three grand slams in a single game as Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson all hit one in a 22-9 rout of the Oakland A’s.
The record for grand slams in a game is two, a feat accomplished by 13 players. The most recent was Josh Willingham in 2009. Fernando Tatis, Sr. hit two grand slams in one inning in 1999, the only player to do so.
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