Darick Hall crushes monster walk-off grand slam to finish Triple-A season

Darick Hall hit a walk-off grand slam Sunday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. (Cheryl Pursell)

Slugger Darick Hall, the all-time leader in home runs in the Lehigh Valley, added to his total in dramatic fashion as he crushed a walk-off grand slam to close out the Triple-A season.

Hall capped off a six-run bottom of the ninth inning with his bomb to right field, completing a 7-4, come-from-behind victory over Worcester at Coca-Cola Park in the IronPigs’ final game of 2024. The left-handed hitter blasted his 16th home run of the year, bringing his career total to 76 in parts of four seasons with Lehigh Valley.

Hall, 29, has been a fixture in Allentown over the past four years, making himself a fan-favorite with his eye-popping power. After his first Triple-A season in 2021, Hall launched 28 home runs in 101 games for the IronPigs in 2022 while earning his first call to the major leagues; he hit nine homers with an .804 OPS in 42 games for the Phillies, filling in nicely as the designated hitter for an injured Bryce Harper in July and August. Hall traveled with the team during Philadelphia’s run to the World Series.

After Rhys Hoskins tore the ACL in his knee in the spring of 2023, Hall had the first crack at first base for the Phillies. He struggled early and missed two months with a broken thumb. His opportunities ran out after Harper moved to first base in July of that season.

Down with the IronPigs ever since, Hall made club history this summer as he passed Andy Tracy’s previous record of 70 career home runs with the team. It’s a nice legacy for “Long Ball Hall,” a player who made a name for himself in the minors and contributed for a winner in the big leagues.

Hall’s walk-off grand slam may have been his final at-bat with the IronPigs and in the Phillies organization. He was designated for assignment by the team in August and removed from the 40-man roster, potentially allowing him to become a minor-league free agent this offseason. Hall has been with the Phillies since he was drafted in the 14th round in 2016, but Philadelphia’s roster is pretty set with Harper at first and Kyle Schwarber as the DH. Another organization could possibly be more attractive to the power hitter.

Whether he ends up staying or leaving, Hall certainly left on a high note in 2024.