Hitting for the cycle means collecting all four kinds of hit in the same game: a single, a double, a triple and a home run. It’s one of baseball’s rarest and most celebrated feats, because it demands both power and speed.
Why it’s so hard
The toughest link is almost always the triple: it takes a deep hit and fast legs to reach third. That’s why the cycle is even rarer than a no-hitter: in all of MLB history it’s been done only a few hundred times.
A collector’s night
When a player comes to the plate in the ninth needing only the triple for the cycle, the whole stadium rises. It’s the kind of night a hitter remembers for his whole career, because it packs the four things he can do into a single game.
FAQ
Does the order matter?
No. If they happen to come in order (single, double, triple, home run), it’s called a «natural cycle.»
Is it rarer than a no-hitter?
Yes, historically the cycle has happened a bit less often than no-hitters.
