Baseball fans love a cycle. A single, a double, a triple and a home run from one hitter in one game is a highlight that gets replayed for days.
But the sport has a far rarer cousin of that feat, one so unlikely that it has never happened in Major League Baseball: the home run cycle.
A home run cycle happens when a batter hits a solo home run, a two-run home run, a three-run home run and a grand slam in the same game.
That is four home runs, each with a different number of runners on base, adding up to exactly 10 RBIs.
In this guide, you will learn what a home run cycle in baseball is, how it differs from the regular cycle, why it is so hard to achieve, and the remarkable minor league sluggers who actually pulled it off.
What Is a Home Run Cycle in Baseball?
A home run cycle, sometimes called a “homer cycle” or “homering for the cycle,” is a single-game achievement built around the four possible types of home runs. A hitter completes it by hitting all four of these in one game:
- A solo home run with the bases empty, scoring 1 run.
- A two-run home run with one runner on base, scoring 2 runs.
- A three-run home run with two runners on base, scoring 3 runs.
- A grand slam with the bases loaded, scoring 4 runs.
The order does not matter. A player can start with a grand slam and finish with a solo shot, and it still counts. What matters is that each type appears at least once in the same game.
Because the four home runs drive in 1, 2, 3 and 4 runs, a home run cycle always produces at least 10 RBIs. For comparison, the Major League record for RBIs in a single game is 12. That alone shows how extreme this achievement is.
Home Run Cycle vs. the Traditional Cycle
The traditional cycle is what most fans mean when they say a player “hit for the cycle.” It requires a single, a double, a triple and a home run in the same game. It is rare, but it still happens a few times in a typical MLB season.
The home run cycle borrows the same “one of each” idea but applies it only to home runs. That makes it harder in two important ways.
It Requires a Four-Homer Game
A traditional cycle needs just one home run. A home run cycle needs four. Four-homer games are among the rarest events in baseball, and only a small group of major leaguers have ever had one.
The Batter Cannot Control the Situation
In a traditional cycle, a smart runner can stop at second base to collect a needed double. A home run cycle allows no such tricks.
A home run scores every runner on base, so the hitter cannot turn down an RBI. Whether the bases are empty or loaded depends on teammates and the opposing pitcher, not the batter.
What About the Natural Cycle?
A natural cycle is a traditional cycle hit in order: single, double, triple, then home run. Fans also track the “reverse natural cycle,” which runs the other way. These variations are special, but even they show up far more often than a home run cycle.
Why the Home Run Cycle Is So Rare
The home run cycle is not just a test of power. It needs power, opportunity and perfect timing to line up in the same nine innings.
Four Home Runs Is Already Historic
Even elite power hitters usually homer only once every 10 to 20 at-bats. Hitting four in one game, often in just five or six trips to the plate, defies those odds.
Through the 2025 season, only 21 players in MLB history had ever hit four home runs in a game, and nobody has ever hit five.
The Base Situations Must Line Up
A four-homer game alone is not enough. The hitter must come up once with the bases empty, once with one runner on, once with two runners on and once with the bases loaded, and then homer every time.
Bases-loaded chances are the hardest part, since only a small share of any player’s plate appearances come with all three bases full.
There Is No Room for Error
A home run with the “wrong” number of runners does not help. Two solo shots, for example, use up a home run without adding a new piece to the set.
In a traditional cycle, an extra single does no harm. In a home run cycle, every swing must be a home run and the right kind of home run.
Teammates and Opponents Shape the Odds
The batter has no say over who is on base. Teammates must reach base ahead of him, and opposing pitchers must actually pitch to him. Managers often walk a red-hot slugger on purpose, especially with first base open, which can erase a chance entirely.
Has Anyone Ever Hit a Home Run Cycle?
No player has ever hit a home run cycle in Major League Baseball. In professional baseball as a whole, only two known instances exist.
Both came at the Double-A level, both in the Texas League, and both by players in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Tyrone Horne, Arkansas Travelers (1998)
On July 27, 1998, outfielder Tyrone Horne of the Double-A Arkansas Travelers became the first known professional player to hit for the home run cycle.
In a 13-4 win at San Antonio, he hit a two-run homer in the first inning, a grand slam in the second, a solo shot in the fifth and a three-run blast in the sixth.
Horne later admitted he had never even heard of homering for the cycle before he did it. The Baseball Hall of Fame asked for his bat, and it now sits in Cooperstown. He was named Texas League MVP that season, yet he never reached the major leagues.
Chandler Redmond, Springfield Cardinals (2022)
For 24 years, Horne stood alone. Then on August 10, 2022, Chandler Redmond of the Double-A Springfield Cardinals matched him in Amarillo, Texas. Redmond hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, a grand slam in the sixth, a solo shot in the seventh and a three-run homer in the eighth. He finished 5-for-6 with 11 RBIs in a 21-4 rout.
Amateur and Youth Baseball
The home run cycle also shows up now and then in college, high school and Little League games. Shorter fences and uneven pitching make huge offensive days more common at those levels. These games are fun to celebrate, but the professional record remains the true benchmark.
The Closest Calls in MLB History
Major League Baseball has never seen a home run cycle, but a few sluggers have come agonizingly close.
- Scooter Gennett (2017): On June 6, 2017, the Cincinnati Reds second baseman hit four home runs and drove in 10 runs. He had a solo shot, a grand slam and two two-run homers. One extra runner on base for either two-run blast would have made history.
- Mark Whiten (1993): Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals on September 7, 1993, Whiten hit four homers and tied the MLB record with 12 RBIs. His set included a grand slam, two three-run homers and a two-run homer, but no solo shot.
- Alex Rodriguez (2005): In April 2005, the Yankees star hit a three-run homer, a two-run homer and a grand slam against the Angels for 10 RBIs. Later in the game, he drove a ball to the warning track. A home run there would have finished the cycle.
- Tino Martinez (1997): In a three-homer game against the Mariners, the Yankees first baseman came up with the bases loaded three times, twice in the ninth inning. He never got the grand slam he needed.
The 2025 season brought three more four-homer games, from Eugenio Suárez, Nick Kurtz and Kyle Schwarber. None of them included the right mix of home runs, so the major league home run cycle remains unclaimed.
How the Home Run Cycle Compares to Other Rare Baseball Feats
Baseball is full of “unicorn” achievements, but the home run cycle sits at the very top of the list. Here is how it stacks up against other famous single-game feats in Major League history.
| Feat | What It Requires | How Often in MLB |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional cycle | Single, double, triple and home run | A few times in most seasons |
| Perfect game | 27 batters up, 27 batters down | About two dozen all-time |
| Four-homer game | Four home runs by one batter | 21 times through 2025 |
| Unassisted triple play | One fielder records all three outs | About 15 all-time |
| Home run cycle | Solo, two-run, three-run and grand slam | Never |
A four-homer game is already rarer than a perfect game. The home run cycle takes that rare event and adds a strict set of base-runner conditions on top, which is why it has never been done at the highest level.
What It Would Take to See the First MLB Home Run Cycle
Could a major leaguer finally pull it off? It is possible, but several factors would need to come together at once.
- A power hitter in the middle of the order. Batters hitting third, fourth or fifth come up with runners on base more often, which creates two-run, three-run and grand slam chances.
- A high-scoring game. Blowouts give hitters extra plate appearances, often against tired relievers or even position players pitching in mop-up duty.
- Pitchers who attack the strike zone. A slugger who gets walked or pitched around cannot homer, no matter how locked in he is.
- A hitter-friendly setting. Warm weather, thin air and short fences all turn deep fly balls into home runs.
- Plenty of luck. Above all, the right base situations must appear in the right sequence.
Both known professional home run cycles came in lopsided wins, 13-4 and 21-4. That pattern shows how much a big team offensive night helps set the stage.
Final Thoughts on the Home Run Cycle
The home run cycle in baseball is simple to explain and nearly impossible to achieve: a solo homer, a two-run homer, a three-run homer and a grand slam in one game. It combines the rarity of a four-homer game with base situations no hitter can control.
That is why it has never happened in Major League Baseball and has been done only twice in professional history, by Tyrone Horne in 1998 and Chandler Redmond in 2022.
Sluggers like Scooter Gennett, Mark Whiten and Alex Rodriguez came close, but the feat remains baseball’s ultimate power unicorn.
The next time a hitter goes deep twice early in a game, keep an eye on how many runners were on base for each blast. You just might be watching the first steps toward history.
