Hitting for the cycle
There have never been multiple cycles completed in a single MLB or NPB game; this is known to have occurred twice in Minor League Baseball: on April 11, 2018, by Gio Brusa and Jalen Miller of the Class A-Advanced San Jose Giants,[14] and on August 7, 2018, by Kevin Newman and Jacob Stallings of the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.
[19] None of the top five players in singles (Rose, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Cap Anson, and Keeler) in MLB history have hit for the cycle;[3] of those five, only Rose had more than 150 home runs,[20] and two (Collins and Keeler), who both played during the dead-ball era, had fewer than 50,[21][22] lessening the probability of their completing the cycle.
This scenario often occurs when a ball is hit into the gaps between the outfielders or down the foul line on either side of the playing field.
[25] The triple, in which the batter reaches third base without being put out and without the benefit of a fielding error, is the "hardest part of a cycle" to complete.
[29] Of the top five players in MLB history in triples, two have hit for the cycle: Honus Wagner in 1912 and Roger Connor in 1890.
Most often in modern baseball, this occurs when the batter hits the ball over the outfield wall in fair territory.
Home-run hitters are commonly believed to be larger, slower players due to their strength, and may not be fast enough to complete the triple.
[56][3] Cycles have occurred on the same day twice in MLB history; on September 17, 1920, by Bobby Veach of the Detroit Tigers and George Burns of the New York Giants; and on September 1, 2008, by the Arizona Diamondbacks' Stephen Drew and the Seattle Mariners' Adrián Beltré.
[35][63] The earliest in a game that a cycle has been completed is the fourth inning, accomplished by Mike Lansing of the Colorado Rockies on June 18, 2000, when he had a first-inning triple, second-inning homer, third-inning double, and fourth-inning single.
[50] Three family pairs have hit for the cycle; father and son Gary Ward (1980) and Daryle Ward (2004), grandfather and grandson Gus Bell (1951) and David Bell (2004),[3] and father and son Craig Biggio (2002) and Cavan Biggio (2019).
[114] Two players have hit cycles both for and against the same team; Joe Cronin against (1929) and for (1940) the Red Sox, and Adrián Beltré against (2008) and for (2012, 2015) the Rangers.
On September 19, 2021, Eddie Rosario of the Atlanta Braves hit for the cycle on five pitches, the smallest number since at least 1900.
[115] During his eight seasons playing for the Yokohama BayStars, Bobby Rose hit for three cycles, the most of any Nippon Professional Baseball player.
[10] That season also saw the only instance of cycles occurring on the same day: on July 1, hit by Atsunori Inaba of the Yakult Swallows and Arihito Muramatsu of the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
Other than Fujimura, the four players to hit for the natural cycle are Kazuhiko Kondo in 1961, Takahiro Tokutsu in 1976, Takanori Okamura in 1985, and Muramatsu in 2003.
[116] Kosuke Fukudome is the only NPB player to have hit a grand slam as the home run of the cycle.
Only two players have hit for the cycle twice in their KBO League career: Thames and Yang Joon-hyuk, both with the Samsung Lions.
