Top 12 Players With the Most Career Grand Slams in MLB History
Plenty of Hall of Famers on this list, along with a surprise or two (for me, at least).
Even though I’ve spent years writing about home runs, there hasn’t been one article specifically dedicated to home runs. Quite the oversight on my part.
As you can tell, that ends today. This also won’t be the last time I touch on this subject in some way. Check out some videos and interesting insights from the 12 players who have racked up the most career grand slams in MLB history.
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Alex Rodriguez: 25 Grand Slams
A-Rod’s ability to capitalize with the bases loaded was unmatched. He stepped up to the plate with the bases juiced 310 times. It resulted in those 25 homers, 286 RBI and a .340/.387/.695 triple slash.
Perhaps most impressive is how he spread these dingers across his career, hitting slams in 17 different seasons, including three in his MVP-winning 2007 campaign. Rodriguez smashed 13 grand slams with the Yankees. He just enjoyed being in the batter’s box with runners on base in general, though. Rodriguez posted a .939 OPS with 321 homers and 1,711 RBI with men base throughout his career.
Lou Gehrig: 23 Grand Slams
I like to measure the impact of a player’s legacy by how long they can stand the test of time at the top of any leaderboard. We don’t necessarily need another reminder about how good Lou Gehrig was during his Hall of Fame career, but we’re getting one here anyway.
The Iron Horse was baseball’s original Grand Slam King. He suited up for his last MLB game in 1939. Despite that, he remained at the top of this specific leaderboard until A-Rod passed him on September 20, 2013. That’s pretty insane.
Gehrig slashed .369/.421/.726 during his career with the bases loaded. He hit his first Slam in 1925 and his last one came in 1938. He took advantage of calling Yankee Stadium home, too — 11 of his dingers came in the Bronx.
Manny Ramirez: 21 Grand Slams
There are plenty of swings I enjoy watching over and over again. Manny Ramirez’s right-handed stroke is one of them. It was nice and easy but had so much power behind it.
Ramirez’s 1.069 OPS with the bases juiced speaks to his elite approach in high-pressure situations. While many will remember Ramirez for his time with the Boston Red Sox, the first eight years of his career were spent in Cleveland. That’s where he hit the majority of his grand slams, too — 13 of 21, to be exact.
A memorable one for the slugger came on his bobblehead night on July 22, 2009. He didn’t start for the Los Angeles Dodgers that day but came in to slug a pinch-hit grand slam.
Eddie Murray: 19 Grand Slams
Eddie Murray wasn’t just consistent; he was clutch. His 19 grand slams rank fourth all-time and serve as proof that he knew how to rise to the occasion when the situation called for it.
“Steady Eddie” stayed true to his nickname by slugging grand slams across four different decades. His ability to switch-hit with power made him a nightmare matchup, as evidenced by his 504 career home runs. He posted a ridiculous .399 batting average and .740 slugging percentage with the bases loaded. His 1.127 OPS in that situation is the second-highest mark in MLB history. Murray’s career was a masterclass in longevity and impact—his combination of patience, power, and poise earned him a first-ballot ticket to Cooperstown.
Willie McCovey: 18 Grand Slams
Willie McCovey’s name is synonymous with power. “Stretch” proved time and again why he was one of the most feared hitters of his era. Known for his towering shots that often landed in the water beyond Candlestick Park’s outfield (hence, McCovey Cove behind Oracle Park), McCovey’s 521 career home runs are still among the most all-time.
He racked up this insane number of grand slams in an era dominated by elite pitching when scoring runs wasn’t as easy as it is today. If he stepped up to the plate with three ducks on the pond, there was a good chance that dude was about to do some damage. He slashed .317/.362/.713 with those 18 grand slams and 184 RBI in 196 plate appearances.
Robin Ventura: 18 Grand Slams
Robin Ventura wasn’t as prolific of a slugger as some others on this list, evidenced by his 294 career homers. However, he knew how to get a ball over the fence when the bases were loaded.
Ventura’s left-handed swing was a grand slam machine, and his knack for delivering in big moments earned him a reputation as someone you’d want hitting in a clutch situation. His most famous moment, of course, was the Grand Slam Single in the 1999 NLCS—a hit that technically wasn’t a grand slam due to him being mobbed by teammates before touching home.
Ventura’s slams were spread across three different teams, with his time on the White Sox being particularly productive. He posted a 1.045 OPS with 214 RBI in 238 career trips to the plate with the bases juiced.
Jimmie Foxx: 17 Grand Slams
Jimmie Foxx, one of the most powerful hitters of the pre-war era, racked up 17 grand slams during his Hall of Fame career. Earning the nicknames “Double X” and “Beast,” Foxx terrorized pitchers in the 1930s with his potent bat, amassing 534 career home runs while winning three MVP Awards.
Foxx’s most productive season came in 1932 when he smashed 58 home runs, which is still a single-season Athletics record.
His grand slams were spread evenly across his career, a testament to his consistent ability to deliver in clutch situations. Playing most of his prime with the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, Foxx was often the centerpiece of some fearsome lineups, which allowed him plenty of chances to drive in his teammates.
Ted Williams: 17 Grand Slams
Ted Williams is arguably the greatest pure hitter in MLB history (and one of my favorites). He delivered 17 grand slams despite losing three prime seasons to military service.
The Splendid Splinter’s 521 career home runs are tied with McCovey and Frank Thomas for 20th all-time. His ability to rise to the occasion with the bases loaded wasn’t surprising but still remarkable. Williams posted a .332/.423/.685 line with those 17 homers and 225 RBI in this situation.
He made his final career grand slam a memorable one, too. It came on July 29, 1958, against the Detroit Tigers and was part of a seven-RBI day for the left-handed slugger. That grand slam was accompanied by a three-run homer, because why not, right?
Babe Ruth: 16 Grand Slams
What’s a home run list without Babe Ruth? Yeah, exactly. Ruth’s 16 homers are just more proof showing how much of an X-factor he was during a ballgame. He put together a .365/.429/.762 triple slash while hitting with the bases loaded.
Just because he likes to distinguish himself from his peers, The Sultan of Swat is also the only player to hit a grand slam on consecutive days on two separate occasions. He did it in 1927 and 1929.
Ruth’s ability to intimidate pitchers, combined with his knack for capitalizing on bases-loaded opportunities, made him a nightmare for opposing hurlers. His career .690 slugging percentage remains the highest in MLB history, underscoring his dominance not only in grand slam situations but in every aspect of hitting.
Hank Aaron: 16 Grand Slams
Hank Aaron is MLB’s all-time RBI leader with 2,297. So, it shouldn’t be shocking that he consistently took advantage of the greatest RBI opportunity a hitter can see in a single at-bat.
His stats with the bases loaded might not jump off the page as much as others — he owned a .316/.316/.589 triple slash in this situation. However, Aaron was able to get himself on this list with the elite consistency he produced in pretty much every area of his game throughout his entire career.
The slugger’s final grand slam came on April 26, 1974. At the time, that put him all alone at the top of the National League’s grand slam leaderboard.
Dave Kingman: 16 Grand Slams
Dave Kingman is one of those guys you probably weren’t expecting to see on this list. But that’s baseball, baby. He got things started quickly, too — Kingman’s first grand slam came in his first big-league start in 1971. It was part of a two-homer day.
He was an equal-opportunity slugger with the bases juiced, logging a grand slam for five teams and doing it against 15 different opponents.
“Kong” had a knack for hitting some of the longest home runs in MLB history, but his approach was all or nothing—he struck out more than 1,800 times in his career. Despite his feast-or-famine tendencies, Kingman was a feared presence at the plate with runners in scoring position. While the three-time All-Star didn’t rack up many personal accolades during his career, he made sure that his legacy of power lives on.
Albert Pujols: 16 Grand Slams
Albert Pujols’ 16 career grand slams are a testament to his sustained excellence over two decades in the majors. “The Machine” was one of the most feared hitters of his era, accumulating 703 home runs (fourth-most in MLB history) and 2,218 RBIs (second-most in MLB history).
While his .892 OPS with the bases loaded is on the lower side compared to others on this list, he found ways to come up big for some memorable taters. He became the ninth member of the 600-homer club on June 3, 2017, but was the first to enter the club by hitting a grand slam. And on his march toward 700, Pujols’ 690th career dinger was a pinch-hit grand slam — the first and only time he accomplished that.