In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH[1]), 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 or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner (see fielder's choice). Extra-base hits are often not listed separately in tables of baseball statistics, but are easily determined by calculating the sum total of a batter's doubles, triples, and home runs.[2] 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.[1]
Major League Baseball leaders
edit
Career
editThe record for most career extra-base hits is 1,477, held by Hank Aaron.[2] Among players with at least 1,000 career hits, Mark McGwire is the only one to have had at least half of his hits go for extra bases.[3]
Season
editThere have been 15 instances of a player recording 100 extra-base hits in a single season; Lou Gehrig, Chuck Klein and Todd Helton are the only players to have achieved this twice, with Helton the only one to do so in consecutive seasons.[4]
The top 5 are as follows: (totals are current through the end of the 2016 season)[5]
- Babe Ruth (1921) – 119
- Lou Gehrig (1927) – 117
- Barry Bonds (2001) – 107
- Chuck Klein (1930) – 107
- Todd Helton (2001) – 105
Single game
editThe 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, Steve Garvey, Shawn Green, Kelly Shoppach, Josh Hamilton, Jackie Bradley Jr., Kris Bryant, José Ramírez, Matt Carpenter, Alex Dickerson, Luis Urías,[6] Adolis García,[7] and most recently Shohei Ohtani. Adock, Green, and Hamilton did so while hitting four home runs.[6] In the postseason, Albert Pujols, Hideki Matsui, Bob Robertson, Frank Isbell and Enrique Hernández have all recorded four extra-base hits in a game.[8]
Consecutive games
editPaul Waner (1927) and Chipper Jones (2006) jointly hold the longest hitting streak for extra bases. Both players recorded extra-base hits in 14 consecutive games.[citation needed]
Team records
editThe Boston Red Sox recorded 17 extra-base hits in a 29–4 victory against the St. Louis Browns in 1950.[9] 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.[10] 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).[10]
The 2003 Boston Red Sox had 649 extra-base hits, the most by one team in a single season.[11][12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Baseball Basics: Abbreviations". MLB.com. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
- ^ a b "Career Leaders & Records for Extra-Base Hits". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
- ^ "Batting Season Finder: For combined seasons, in the regular season, requiring Hits >= 1000 and Extra Base Hits >= 0.50 × Hits, sorted by descending Extra Base Hits". Stathead.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ "Batting Season Finder: For single seasons, in the regular season, requiring Extra Base Hits >= 100, sorted by ascending Season". Stathead.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Extra-Base Hits". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ^ a b "Batting Game Finder: For single games, in the regular season, requiring Extra Base Hits >= 5, sorted by descending Date". Stathead.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Garcia, Art (2023-04-23). "Adolis Garcia Bombs Way Into Texas Rangers, MLB Record Books". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Schoenfield, David (October 11, 2011). "Pujols awesome; Brewer rotation in trouble". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
- ^ "Team Batting Game Finder: For single games, from 1901 to 2024, in the regular season, requiring Extra Base Hits >= 15, sorted by descending Extra Base Hits". Stathead.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ a b "Team Batting Game Finder: For single games, from 1901 to 2024, in the postseason, requiring Extra Base Hits >= 9, sorted by descending Extra Base Hits". Stathead.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ "Red Sox announce 2004 Major League coaching staff". Boston Red Sox. January 9, 2004. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ^ "MLB Team Hitting Statistics". MLB.com. Retrieved August 7, 2017.