What is the record for the most consecutive home runs in MLB?

Rafael Devers made history with the Red Sox at Tropicana Field on Monday - the Dominican third baseman slugged his tenth home run of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays - six of them in straight games, which is a new franchise record. Rays pitcher Phil Maton looked on as Raffy slammed a line drive high over the center field wall and into the stands.

Devers has hit homers across Fenway Park, Busch Stadium, and Tropicana Field in the team’s last six games to overtake the previous record holders: Jimmie Foxx (1940), Ted Williams (1957), Dick Stuart (1963), George Scott (1977), Jose Canseco (1995) and Bobby Dalbec (2020), who all achieved the feat in five consecutive games.

The last player to hit six home runs in straight games in the major leagues was Mike Trout, who set a new record for the Los Angeles Angels, homering against the Astros, Tigers and the Guardians between 4-12 September 2022 to overtake Bobby Bonds’ franchise best. He is one of seven MLB players to have hit home runs in seven successive games since Pirates first baseman Dale Long became the first to achieve the feat in May 1956. A total of 27 players have hit homers in six consecutive games while the all-time record is shared by three players.

Who holds the MLB record for the most consecutive home runs?

Dale Long has the honor of being the first player to hit home runs in eight successive games - a record that stands to this day. His run started on 19 May 1956 at Forbes Field and ended nine days later when he took Carl Erskine deep in Brooklyn. Until then, only five players had managed it in six straight games: Ken Williams (1922), George Kelly (1924), Lou Gehrig (1931), Walker Cooper (1947) and Willie Mays (1955).

The feat was matched by Don Mattingly in July 1987. Donnie’s run began against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on 8 July and continued with four straight homers against the Chicago White Sox and concluded on July 17 with another grand slam against the Texas Rangers at Arlington Stadium.

In July 1993, Ken Griffey Jr. equalled Mattingly and Long to become the third player with home runs in eight straight games. Curiously, he the first homer of his streak was against Mattingly’s Yankees in a 9-5 victory in New York. Junior did it again the following day against the same rivals, then repeated the feat in the next four games against Cleveland before making it seven in Seattle then matching the record against the Twins on 28 July.

Devers will have the chance to slug his seventh straight homer against the Rays at Tropicana Field tonight. “I wasn’t thinking about the record.” Raffy explained. “It was more about hitting the ball well in the air with men in scoring position. For me to be able to help the team and get ahead with two runs at that point in the game was great. But sure, as soon as I got to the dugout and saw the reaction of my teammates I knew I’d broken the record and that was a very special moment for me.”