Brad Wilkerson
A powerful-hitting outfielder whose career was defined by a single, spectacular four-homer game that etched his name into baseball lore.
Born 1977 (age 49)·American baseball player·Birthday: June 1·Generation X
Biography
Brad Wilkerson arrived in the major leagues with the Montreal Expos in 2001, bringing a potent left-handed bat and a versatile glove to a franchise in flux. For a few seasons, he was a bright spot, a player who combined patience at the plate with surprising pop. His defining moment came on a summer night in 2005, when, as a member of the Washington Nationals, he launched four home runs in a single game against the Philadelphia Phillies, a feat of raw power that only a handful of players have ever achieved. Injuries and inconsistency, however, began to take their toll, and his time as a regular starter gradually shortened. After stints with several other clubs, his playing career wound down. While his overall statistics may not headline record books, Wilkerson's legacy is permanently tied to that one explosive performance, a reminder of the breathtaking potential that can erupt on any given day in the big leagues.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brad was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Brad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hit four home runs in a single game for the Washington Nationals on July 6, 2005.
- Recorded a 20-home run, 20-stolen base season with the Montreal Expos in 2004.
- Was a first-round draft pick (33rd overall) by the Montreal Expos in the 1998 MLB Draft.
Did You Know?
He was the first player to hit for the home run cycle (solo, two-run, three-run, and grand slam) in a professional game since 1894, accomplishing it in the minors in 1999.
His four-homer game in 2005 was the first in Washington D.C. baseball history since 1894.
He played college baseball at the University of Florida, where he was a two-time All-American.
“You can't guess fastball; you have to be ready for it and adjust to everything else.”
