July 24, 2009
Mike Hampton is one of the better hitting pitchers in recent baseball history, hitting 16 of them in his big league career. In his second stint with the Astros in 2009, he took Johan Santana deep for his final home run of his career. Hampton was a lifetime .246 hitter in 725 big league at-bats, driving in a total 79 runs to go along with his 16 home runs. Not hitting any homers during any of his first eight big league seasons, Hampton had a stretch of five straight season where he hit at least one from 2001-2005.
Following his massive free agent signing with the Rockies ahead of the 2001 season, Hampton enjoyed the thin air of Colorado during his first season with the Rockies, hitting 7 of his lifetime home runs in that 2001 season, posting a .291 average at the plate and driving in 16. The home run in 2009 with the Astros was the only one he hit in his seven big league seasons with Houston.