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MLB: 2017 Dream Home Run Derby Lineup

By Jim Turvey

May 9, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
May 9, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 18, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano (22) at bat in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports. MLB.
May 18, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano (22) at bat in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports. MLB. /

Miguel Sano vs. Joey Gallo

While Stanton-Judge would draw the most attention, this would be the matchup which the hipster baseball fans would let you know is the real matchup to watch. Sano has been out of his mind in 2017, hitting .303 with 14 home runs, but more than just the actual numbers, it’s been how he’s getting those numbers. 

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Sano is leading all of baseball with an average exit velocity of 98.5 mph, according to MLB.com. For reference, MLB.com has Aroldis Chapman’s average fastball at 98.2 mph. That means Sano has been hitting the average ball off his bat at a faster pace than a Chapman fastball – that’s insane. No other hitter is within two miles per hour of Sano, with Aaron Judge coming in second at 96.2 miles per hour.

Joey Gallo is no slouch when it comes to exit velocity, however. Gallo is kind of like The Incredible Hulk of MLB, as he’s usually mild mannered, striking out 38 percent of the time and hitting for just a .204 batting average, but when he gets angry and decides to smash, watch out.

On April 22, he set the pace for the league with a 462-foot, 116.1-mph home run that was the furthest and hardest-hit home run of the season at the time. That velocity has been topped twice since, and of course one of those times was by Gallo himself, who left the yard at 116.3 mph on May 29 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The best part of that video is Erasmo Ramirez. First, he flinches when it’s right off the bat – remember, this is a home run that traveled all the way to the upper deck – and then just drops the I’m-not-even-mad-that’s-amazing eff bomb as Gallo runs the bases. Guys like Gallo and Sano will do that to you.

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