What is hitting for the cycle in baseball?

What does “hitting for the cycle” mean in baseball? Here’s a quick rundown of the oft-used MLB term.

In the modern age, there’s no shortage of terminology in the ever-complex sport that is baseball, and every so often you hear a word or phrase thrown out that you may not fully understand.

In light of the Cincinnati Reds’ recent successes, a certain youngster has made headlines for hitting the cycle: Elly De La Cruz.

Have no idea what “hitting for the cycle” means?

Have no fear, we’ll explain below.

‘Hitting for the cycle’ MLB term explained

In baseball, hitting for the cycle is when a batter hits a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. A natural cycle is when a batter records these hits in that specific listed order.

The feat is extremely rare, about as uncommon as a no-hitter in a game. (A natural cycle is even rarer.)

As of June 2023, there have been 343 instances of a batter hitting for the cycle. The first instance was recorded in 1882 by Charles Foley; the most recent instance was De La Cruz for the Reds on June 23, 2023.

Some other fun facts about hitting for the cycle: the record number of cycles hit in a single MLB season is eight (1933, 2009). The most cycles a player has hit in his career is three, and that enormous feat has been achieved by six players in MLB history.

Out of all the franchises, the Miami Marlins are the only team for which a player has never hit for the cycle.

Who is the youngest player to hit for the cycle?

As stated above, Reds’ Elly De La Cruz made history on June 23 when he became the youngest player to hit for the cycle since 1972.

What’s more impressive is that the rookie slugger achieved this feat in his 15th MLB game. De La Cruz doubled in the second inning, homered in the third, singled in the fifth, and tripled in the sixth in a thrilling 11-10 win over the Atlanta Braves.