Shohei Ohtani reached 300 career home runs on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, with a leadoff shot against the New York Mets. The milestone coincided with Kansas City Royals utilityman Tyler Tolbert tying an MLB record with 12 consecutive hits and Bo Bichette collecting his 1,000th career hit in the same game.
Tyler Tolbert Ties MLB Record for Consecutive Hits
Kansas City Royals utilityman Tyler Tolbert entered the record books during a 16-12 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field. By recording hits in each of his first five at-bats on Tuesday, Tolbert reached 12 consecutive plate appearances with a hit, tying a major-league record. According to The New York Times, this streak spanned three days, including two-for-two on Sunday and five-for-five on Monday.
Tolbert came within one swing of surpassing the all-time mark held by Johnny Kling (1902) and Walt Dropo (1952). However, he flew out to right field in his final at-bat of the night. The streak was a statistical anomaly for the outfielder, who had only seven hits all season prior to this stretch.
I didn’t want to do too much. Minter executed a pitch, and he broke the streak. He is a good pitcher. It is what it is. All I can do is just smile.
Tyler Tolbert, via MLB Trade Rumors
The run significantly altered Tolbert’s season metrics, boosting his batting average from .200 to .396. Analysis of the hits suggests a heavy dose of luck; The New York Times noted that his final three hits of the streak carried expected batting averages of .180, .060, and .050.
“Some of them were luck — I had to leg some out — but it was just really cool. It was a ride, it was a journey, but I know this game has its ups and downs, and we’ve just got to continue to ride the wave.”
Tyler Tolbert, via The New York Times
Tolbert’s place in history is now cemented alongside Kling, Dropo, Pinky Higgins (1938), and José Miranda (2024).
“When I get older I can tell my kids and take them to Cooperstown because I’ve never been. And I have something there, a piece of history that will be there forever.”
Tyler Tolbert, via The New York Times
Shohei Ohtani Hits 300th Career Home Run
Photo: The New York Times
Shohei Ohtani continued his historic pace on Tuesday, launching a 2-0 sinker from Michael Lorenzen over the center field wall for a leadoff home run. The blast marked his 300th career home run, achieved in his 1,102nd game. As MLB Trade Rumors reported, this is the fifth-fewest games to reach the 300-home run milestone in MLB history.
Ohtani currently holds 20 home runs through 391 plate appearances this season, following two consecutive seasons where he hit 50 home runs.
I definitely think 500 is in his future.
Dave Roberts, Manager, via MLB Trade Rumors
Bo Bichette Reaches 1,000 Career Hits
Shohei Ohtani becomes the FIRST Japanese-born player to hit 300 MLB HOME RUNS! 🇯🇵
Mets infielder Bo Bichette reached a major career milestone in his first at-bat on Tuesday, poking a single to center field for his 1,000th career hit. While his tenure in New York started slowly, Bichette has found a rhythm in June, slashing .321/.342/.541.
Bichette’s consistency has been a hallmark of his career this decade, having led the league in hits in both 2021 and 2022. He also finished second for the American League batting title last season. With nine hits in his last five games, he has raised his season batting average to .259, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Defensive Collapse and Historic Scoring at Citi Field
The Royals’ victory was marred by a defensive sequence described by The New York Times as the worst defensive play of the major-league season. In the first inning, Kansas City committed three errors on a single comebacker by Carson Benge, allowing three New York runs to score on a play that traveled approximately 50 feet.
The sequence began when starter Seth Lugo’s throw skipped past Jac Caglianone’s glove. Caglianone then uncorked a wild throw toward home that nearly entered the visiting dugout, allowing Bo Bichette to score. A final late throw by Nick Loftin slid past Carter Jensen, permitting Benge to complete the circuit.
The Elias Sports Bureau confirmed this is only the second time in the last decade that a team has committed three errors on one play; the only other occurrence was by the Miami Marlins in September 2024 during a loss to the Detroit Tigers.
Even in pregame, the ball was wet. It’s just a really unfortunate play.
Matt Quatraro, Royals Manager, via The New York Times
Despite the errors, the Royals made their own history by scoring 15-plus runs in consecutive games for the first time as a franchise. The Mets, conversely, suffered a historical anomaly: they lost a home game in which they scored at least 11 runs for the first time in franchise history.
Other Notable Performances
While the New York game dominated the headlines, other milestones were hit across the league. Pirates slugger Ryan O’Hearn set a franchise record on Tuesday against the Braves, recording 10 RBI. O’Hearn’s night included a grand slam and two three-run home runs within the first six innings, finishing with four hits.
Daniel Richardson is the Editor-in-Chief of Archysport, where he leads the editorial team and oversees all published content across nine sport verticals. With over 15 years in sports journalism, Daniel has reported from the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, NFL Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tennis tournaments. He previously served as Senior Sports Editor at Reuters and holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. Recognized by the Sports Journalists' Association for excellence in reporting, Daniel is a member of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). His editorial philosophy centers on accuracy, depth, and fair coverage — ensuring every story published on Archysport meets the highest standards of sports journalism.
