Professional baseball history could happen Friday night in Waldorf, Md. That's where Dylan Rock of the Atlantic League's Lexington Legends will have a chance to become the first pro player to homer in nine straight games.
Rock tied the pro record on Thursday, when he homered in his eighth straight game in the first inning of a home contest against the Charleston Dirty Birds. The outfielder's dinger streak began on June 18 with a ninth-inning solo shot in Gastonia, N.C., against the Ghost Peppers. The streak has included four other solo shots, along with three two-run homers.
Rock, 26, is the fifth pro baseball player known to have homered in eight straight games. The Mariners' Ken Griffey Jr. (1993), the Yankees' Don Mattingly (1987) and the Pirates' Dale Long (1956) have done it in the Majors, while Rangers utilityman Justin Foscue did it in the Minors across two levels in 2021.
This is Rock's first season with the Legends after a college career at University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas A&M led to an eighth-round selection by the Blue Jays in the 2022 MLB Draft. For the season, Rock is hitting .267 with 13 homers and 31 RBIs in 51 games.
Friday's potentially history-making game will pit Rock and his Legends teammates against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf.
Rock's history-tying homer streak
June 18 at Gastonia Ghost Peppers (ninth inning off Bryce Schares, solo)
June 19 at Gastonia Ghost Peppers (sixth inning off Justus Sheffield, solo)
June 20 vs. High Point Rockers (sixth inning off Cooper Casad, one on)
June 21 vs. High Point Rockers (first inning off Pat Gardner, one on)
June 22 vs. High Point Rockers (first inning off Jonah Scolaro, one on)
June 24 vs. Charleston Dirty Birds (fifth inning off Jonh Henriquez, solo)
June 25 vs. Charleston Dirty Birds (eighth inning off Frank Moscatiello, solo)
June 26 vs. Charleston Dirty Birds (first inning off David Lebron, solo)