These sluggers haven't hit 3 HRs in a game ... yet

A player hitting three home runs in a game is a remarkable feat. It's also both relatively rare and fairly fluky, not unlike hitting for the cycle or throwing a no-hitter.

Want some context? The most three-homer games in a single season is 22, which happened in 2001 and 2019. And while there have been at least 10 in each of the past eight years, there were only three in 2014, achieved by Chris Davis, Ryan Braun and ... Lonnie Chisenhall (remember him?). So yes, it's still a pretty uncommon and unpredictable occurrence.

So far this season, there have been seven such games, by Aaron Judge, Kyle Tucker, José Ramírez, Adolis García, Paul Goldschmidt, Jordan Diaz and Trayce Thompson. Among the 14 three-homer performances last year, you might recall it was done by stars like Yordan Alvarez, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Rizzo, as well as lesser-knowns like Isaac Paredes, Michael Perez, Jack Suwinski and Lane Thomas.

So while you might think most of the game's best current sluggers would have pulled off a three-homer game, in fact, a number of big names have not. Here are the 10 active players with the most multi-dinger games who have not hit three long balls in a contest ... yet.

Giancarlo Stanton
Multi-homer games: 36

It's hard to believe, but Stanton -- who has smashed 396 career home runs, led MLB with 59 in his 2017 NL MVP campaign and captured the '16 Home Run Derby -- has not gone deep thrice in a game. Since his 10 two-homer efforts in ‘17 as a Marlin, Stanton has eight such games in six injury-limited seasons with the Yankees. His 36 still are third-most among active players (behind Miguel Cabrera's 43 and Nelson Cruz's 40).

Mike Trout
Multi-homer games: 25

Further proof that hitting three home runs in a game is both random and rare? The longtime best player in baseball hasn't done it. For all of Trout's many individual exploits -- including 2012 AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVPs in 2014, '16 and '19 -- he's come up one tater short on 25 occasions. Among names on this list, only Stanton has more career dingers than Trout’s 368, although injuries have taken away chances from both players in recent years.

Matt Olson
Multi-homer games: 20

Olson has seven multihomer games in 2023, with the most recent on Aug. 12, but he's never had three homers in a game. Olson hit two homers in a game 11 times with the A's, including three times in both the 2019 and 2021 seasons; he has hit two homers in a game nine times since joining the Braves beginning with the 2022 campaign. Given his power, it feels like only a matter of time before the slugging first baseman posts a three-homer game.

Freddie Freeman
Multi-homer games: 19

Freeman surpassed the 300-dinger mark (with a grand slam) on May 18, but he’s always been considered more of an all-around great hitter than a pure slugger. While the 2020 NL MVP owns three 30-homer seasons, he has an even more impressive eight years with 30-plus doubles. In fact, his 458 two-baggers are far and away the most in MLB since 2011, the year Freeman finished as runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year.

Pete Alonso
Multi-homer games: 18

What’s more amazin’? That Alonso -- the player on this list whose MLB debut came most recently -- has put together 18 outings with two homers in fewer than five full seasons … or that he’s done that while not yet smashing three in a game? Regardless, it might only be a matter of time for this 28-year-old slugger who owns the single-season rookie dinger record (53) and is a two-time Home Run Derby champ (2019 and '21).

C.J. Cron
Multi-homer games: 17

With only one 30-homer year (back in 2018), it might seem a bit surprising that Cron has this many multi-dinger efforts. But the 2011 first-round Draft pick has been around longer than you think -- he debuted in 2014 -- and he’s had at least one game with two taters in each of his 10 seasons, except for an injury-shortened 2020 (13 games with the Tigers).

Joey Gallo
Multi-homer games: 17

Since hitting two jacks in six different games in 2021 to help him climb onto the back end of this ranking, Gallo has struggled to maintain his production despite prodigious power. Between that and injuries, nearly half of Gallo’s 197 career homers came bunched across 2017 (41) and ’18 (40). Still only 29 and off to a better start than recent years, Gallo still could have it in him to put together three thunderous swings in a contest.

Cody Bellinger
Multi-homer games: 17

Bellinger burst onto the scene in 2017 with six multi-tater efforts on his way to 39 long balls and NL Rookie of the Year honors. He then had four more such games in his 47-homer 2019 NL MVP campaign. Since then, though, Bellinger has managed just six as his offensive production declined before a 2023 resurgence. Still only 28, he’s plenty young enough to get back on track and hit his way off this list.

Shohei Ohtani
Multi-homer games: 16

Ohtani has four multi-homer games in 2023, most recently on July 27, the same day he pitched a one-hit shutout against Detroit in the other game of a doubleheader. He still hasn't put together a three-homer game, but it's Ohtani -- that milestone feels like it won't take long.

Rafael Devers
Multi-homer games: 16

Devers has four multi-homer games so far in 2023, most recently July 14 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Despite having 168 career home runs, including 29 this season, the young Red Sox slugger has yet to put together a three-home-run game. Devers is only 26, though, so there's plenty of time.

The other active hitters with 15 multi-homer games but zero three-dinger efforts: Juan Soto, Salvador Perez, Teoscar Hernández, Mike Moustakas, Carlos Santana and Jonathan Schoop.